Chaotic Dynamics
by Merina Green
Summary: All Jasper wanted to do when they got back from Romania was to spend a long, boring eternity getting to know his new mate.  But nature abhors a vacuum.  A sequel to "Running".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** Well, here we are. If you're reading this, you were either a fan of "Running" or my wonderful Story Summary of "Chaotic Dynamics" caught your eye and sucked you in. If it's the former, welcome back, and I hope you enjoy our Hero and Heroine's latest adventure. If it's the latter...well, a lot of this might not make sense if you haven't read "Running". It's not really a stand-alone story. By all means continue reading, but...don't ask me to explain stuff. It took 218,000 words the first time around.

I'd like to thank Arfess96 - and you should too. She won me in the last FGB auction, and writing her requested outtake is what got me in the mood to write a sequel. Without her, this wouldn't be happening right now. Huh. My writing seems to always revolve around the FGB because that's where I bought my Black Market Beta over a year ago for "Running". JaspersDestiny is once again on board for this adventure, which has already resulted in a lot more 'talking Merina off the ledge' than "Running" ever did. I hope she survives the ride.

Um...lets see, what else? I'm looking at a once-a-week update schedule - for right now it will be every Tuesday. That may change once I finish writing. But for now, it's going to be once a week. So, if you're the kind of reader that likes to stock up on chapters before reading, that gives you an idea of what you're looking at, posting-wise. If there are any newcomers here, I usually don't have long-ass A/Ns like this unless I have a particularly amusing 'writer's block' story to relay.

Oh, yeah - SM owns the characters but not my plot. Why do we continue saying that? Does it really mean anything? We all know who is making money off these characters and it ain't me.

Chapter 1

"Bella."

"Yes, Jasper?"

"You're fidgeting. Stop fidgeting."

"Fidgeting is very human, Jasper. I'm trying to look human." Bella looked around the airport nervously, her eyes darting quickly over all the humans milling around where she and Jasper sat in the boarding area. It was a small airport and way too crowded for her comfort.

"Babe, fidgeting is normal. What _you_ are doing is not fidgeting. You've broken the arms off of three seats so far. We're really going to attract unwanted attention if we get up and move again. The lady at the desk is already giving us the stink eye."

Bella whipped her head around to stare at the woman behind the counter, who was indeed staring right back. The human woman quickly broke eye contact, though, much to Bella's satisfaction.

"Stop it," Jasper hissed. "Now you've gone and made her nervous. You _don't_ want them nervous. Damn it, Bella!"

"Sorry. Sorry!"

"Yes, well, _sorry_ isn't going to get us on a plane, damn it. I was able to convince Carlisle to let you come along because I promised him you would be able to behave. You are _not_ behaving."

"Sorry," she whispered again.

Jasper sighed and grabbed her hand, holding it in a grip that would have crushed a human's. Bella found it reassuring, though, and she began to settle down a bit. They'd managed to schedule flights through small airports for most of the trip, in order to avoid the new safety measures installed at larger airports. But it was taking a _lot_ of small airports to get them to Laredo that way. And the nervous vampire sitting next to him - even if she wasn't a newborn anymore – was bound to ruin it for them if she didn't stop 'fidgeting'. She'd already worn spots in the carpet under her feet and broken the furniture. He'd been able to mend the armrests…sort of…but there was nothing he could do for the carpet.

He dreaded getting on the plane with her. He really did. They should have rented a plane, but the Cullens' new pilot friend - and owner of the small booking company - was still hiding in whatever tropical paradise Carlisle had sent him to in order to hide from the Volturi when the whole mess had started a couple years prior, and Emmett had been unable to get his license because of that. The pilot who had flown the Cullens to Europe and then brought them back after Romania was not returning their phone calls. Evidently the damage inflicted on his plane by Emmett and Rose's..._activities_...was not something the man wanted a repeat of.

Jasper sighed again and tried sending her calming vibes. Her shield was up, though, so it was a wasted effort.

"Drop your shield," he hissed, "or we're leaving right now. And I'll leave you at Carlisle and Esme's house while I take care of this."

Bella looked at him. She was the picture of a wounded puppy.

"Don't look at me like that," he said firmly. "You agreed to my conditions in order to come along."

Her shoulders dropped. She _had_ agreed - his way or the highway. They were heading into his old world, but while it was familiar territory for him, it was dangerous territory for her. She was seeing a side of Jasper she'd never seen before, not even on their trip across Siberia. She'd been wrapped up in her own..._craziness_...at the time, and he'd been too wrapped up in winning her affections and saving them both.

But now she was his and he was hers…and it came with a price she hadn't expected.

When he was like this - in his 'take charge' mode, as she thought of it - if he said, "Jump", she asked, "How high?" without a second's thought.

She wasn't sure she liked it. She didn't remember it being like this with Edward, but...had she ever _really_ questioned anything Edward told her?

No, not really.

So it had probably been exactly like this with Edward. She just hadn't noticed it.

She thought back on things she'd seen since Jasper had brought her back to the Cullens - in Romania, on the trip back to The States afterwards, and since their return to Alaska after their 'vacation', which had turned out to be a 'give Bella a chance to return to normal' trip. But whatever. She wasn't mad about that. Not really. A little hurt, maybe, but not mad.

The Cullens were still very much in 'battle mode' since Romania. Actually, they'd been in 'battle mode' since her, Edward, and Carlisle's initial ill-fated trip to Italy, or so Rosalie said. And battle mode meant listening to your Coven Leader. Gone were the good old days where Carlisle played the benevolent and lenient adopted father to a bunch of teenagers. He, Jasper, and Emmett had locked themselves in Carlisle's office when they'd returned from vacation, along with Eleazar, and they'd stayed there for two days. Even keen vampire hearing couldn't listen through the sound proofing Carlisle had always built into his office, unless one was standing directly outside the door.

That was a position, under the circumstances, that nobody wanted to be in. Spying on your father when carrying on the "we're all human" charade was one thing, but listening at doors? Quite another. Even Alice had looked shocked when Bella suggested it.

No, instead, they'd all sat around the living room of the Cullens' new house outside of Seward – nobody, it seemed, Bella included, had wanted to return to the house on the other side of the peninsula, where Bella had spent her first few newborn months. That had become a source of bad memories for all of them. All of the women sat waiting – still and unmoving, as only vampires can do - including the Denalis, whom Bella had only vaguely remembered from before her ill-fated trip to Italy. Well, they had sat still. She had paced the floor. And when the men had emerged and announced their plans…well, everybody fell in line. Even Rose had kept her mouth shut, not protesting any of it.

Bella had found it creepy and unnerving, especially the part where Rose didn't have anything to say. When she mentioned it to Jasper later, he'd laughed and told her that according to Carlisle that little change had not come about without a fight. But the events of the past few years had put fear in all of them. So they sat…and waited. And when Carlisle said, "Jump", they asked, "How high?"

And when Jasper said she could come with him only if she obeyed him without question. He told her he didn't want to be separated from her, that it would kill him to be apart from her, but that he would do it if it was the only thing to keep her – and the coven – safe. So she'd agreed.

Besides, she'd had enough waiting and enough stillness - between the box and her cave - to last…well, to last a lifetime. Or an eternity. Now she just wanted to run.

"Sit still," Jasper hissed, aggravated. Shit, she really _couldn't_ sit still. He'd known how she'd paced the floor back at the house, waiting for him and the others to come to a decision. She'd paced the floor instead of running like she'd wanted to, unable to sit still and wait like the rest of the coven. He'd told Carlisle then that it was probably as good as it was going to get with her.

But now…now it really _was_ driving him fucking nuts.

Luckily the boarding call came for their flight. Luckily or unluckily, he wasn't sure which.

They would fly from Seward to Ketchikan to Spokane and then to Butte, Montana. A two-day layover in Butte would allow them time to hunt. They'd meet with his old friend, Peter, there. Jasper didn't know yet whether or not Peter and Charlotte would accompany them to Laredo. Peter had been vague on the phone, clearly unwilling to make the trip. It had been pushing it to get him to agree to meeting with them at all. Jasper wasn't going to push his luck. Unwilling backup was worse than no back up.

Bella behaved in the line to the plane, much to Jasper's relief, but the woman at the counter still gave her the stink eye as she took their boarding passes. Jasper smiled at the woman and rolled his eyes in Bella's direction when he was sure she wasn't looking, sending the human a wave of amusement and commiseration. He was rewarded with a conspiratorial smile from the woman.

Jasper wanted to roll his eyes again but refrained - whatever it took to push attention away from them.

They settled into their seats at the front of the plane, the size of the jet not allowing room for a first class section. Even purchasing the seats in front of and behind them hadn't been an option – in the age of over-booking flights, any empty seats were quickly taken up by stand-by passengers. Jasper sent out a wave of calm to the passengers around them. Humans, he found, tended to become extremely nervous when locked within small, enclosed spaces with predators. And nervous people on an airplane in this day and age were not something they needed to deal with.

He might have overdone it though. Some of them were asleep before the plane even taxied. Whatever. Sleeping humans were much less annoying, anyway.

"Do you think they will like me?" Bella asked, leaning over to whisper to him after the flight attendant had gone through her safety routine.

"Who? Maria? It hardly matters what she thinks of you. In fact, I think it's safe to say she won't think of you at all. I already told you that to _her_ you're just gonna be the latest puta on my arm."

"Yes, thank you, you _did_ tell me that. It's so flattering. No, I meant your friends..."

"Peter and Charlotte?"

"Yeah."

Jasper thought about it. "I honestly don't know," he finally said, shrugging. "I won't lie to you – you're a Cullen, and they think all the Cullens are a little bit odd. They definitely do not understand our 'lifestyle'. But I'm sure they'll be nice enough to you, if for no other reason than you're with me." He smiled. "They remember you, you know, from when you were human..."

"They do?" she asked, surprised. "I don't remember them."

"You wouldn't. You never met them. But they were there, visiting. They drove Edward fuckin' nuts, which in turn drove the _rest_ of us nuts."

"Why?" She was genuinely puzzled.

"He was convinced Peter was going to eat you."

Bella actually flinched, feeling threatened even though she knew she was no longer in any danger from that. "Would he have?"

"No. Well, probably not. Peter's not known for his..._self control_. And you _did_ smell really good as a human. But they never would have fed in Carlisle's territory. So, no, you were in no danger."

"Oh...okay. So...they saw me?"

"No. We just...talked about you. Sort of…" Jasper looked uncomfortable now.

"Talked about me? How?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It was really just in order to explain Edward's bizarre behavior. Although, Peter and Charlotte always thought Edward was a bit bizarre, so I don't know why we bothered trying to explain it that time. But he was acting odder than normal. He was just really concerned for your safety. Not that he needed to be," Jasper hastened to add. "Really, they're going to like you just fine. And obviously the whole 'eating you' thing is no longer an issue."

"Are they going to Laredo with us?" Bella asked, deciding to forego any more questions about her human life. Talking about Edward always made her sad, and hearing about Edward's..._protectiveness_…while she had still been human – before they'd even really met – made her even sadder.

"I don't know." Jasper shrugged. They'd talked about all this before, but he didn't mind rehashing it if it made her feel better. "Peter was pretty vague on the phone. Then again, he's always vague on the phone. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to go."

"But he might? For you? Because you're friends, right? Brothers..?"

Jasper shrugged again. "Sort of, if you want to call us that. Friends would be a better term."

"But...you said Maria created both of you. So you're brothers, right?"

"That would make Emmett and Rose brother and sister and Edward your father, Bella," Jasper pointed out. "Yes, we had the same creator. But brother? By that logic, I have hundreds – no, thousands – of brothers. And sisters. Maria has been a very prolific sire in her time. Most of my 'siblings' didn't live longer than a year. We weren't a real close family, Bella. I prefer to think of him as my friend."

"Oh. Okay. Well, won't he come along in the name of 'friendship', then?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Neither of us likes to be near her. It wasn't the most pleasant of partings. Actually, she blames my leaving her coven on Peter, so it's probably just as well if he doesn't accompany us. She's not going to want to see him, probably, especially not under the current circumstances."

Bella was quiet after that. Jasper was thankful that she seemed to settle down for the rest of the flight – all 45 minutes of it from Seward to Ketchikan. There was no fidgeting and no destruction of their seats.

They transferred planes with no problem at Ketchikan, and three hours later they landed at Spokane, followed by another short flight to Butte for the layover. It was early evening when they left the airport. To Jasper's surprise, his friend and sometime brother was waiting for them at the curb, standing next to a red Prius.

"New ride?" Jasper asked, foregoing a normal greeting. "Deciding to go green in your old age?"

The tall blond man shrugged and pushed away from the vehicle. "They're amazingly easy to steal. Granola munchers are easy targets for vampires."

"I thought you said they taste like sawdust? Changing your diet, too, along with your driving habits?" Jasper asked, holding the door to the back seat open for Bella after he'd put their bags in the trunk.

"I didn't say I ate her. I just picked her pocket." Peter nodded to Bella without speaking and crossed behind the car before opening the driver's door. Jasper slid into the front passenger seat and Peter got behind the wheel. "I'm assuming you'd like to grab something to eat before the next leg of your trip?"

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, that was the idea."

"Butte has a nice little zoo. Kind of small, but it should have a nice variety for you. A little exotic dining while you're on vacation."

"Very funny, Peter. Just take us out of town and we'll be fine. Surely there are some woods around here?"

Bella looked out the window at the surrounding mountains. It looked pretty wide open and wild to her. She felt Peter glance at her in the rear view mirror, but he continued to all but ignore her after that. She returned the compliment, ignoring him completely. Jasper hadn't introduced them, and she wasn't about to change that. Her mate had a reason for everything he did, she'd already figured out. Nothing was done by accident.

Silence descended on the car as they drove.

"So..." Peter said, breaking the silence. "When's your plane leave?"

"Day after tomorrow. 10 am."

"Ah. Long layover."

"Yep."

Bella didn't need Jasper's powers to be able to tell his friend was less than pleased with this information. This was so uncomfortable.

"Any plans while you're in town?" Peter asked.

"Thought _we_'d visit a bit," Jasper answered, stressing the 'we'.

Peter didn't rise to the bait. "Sure. Charlotte will be pleased."

It sounded to Bella like Charlotte might be, but Peter was anything _but_ pleased.

"I'm sure she will be," Jasper agreed pleasantly. Bella fought to keep her shield reigned in, as well as the growl that was growing in her chest. Jasper may have said they were in the car with a friend, but it sure felt like a hostile environment to her. She felt reassurance from Jasper. Maybe this was normal for them, this odd..._interaction_.

Maybe she just needed to get out more. Maybe this was how vampires interacted with their vampire 'friends'. In her experience, other vampires were _not_ friends, except for the Denalis. And she still really questioned _that_ relationship. They were cousins, though – family of sorts. That was different. She wished Jasper had been more agreeable to her calling Peter his brother. Maybe she'd feel more comfortable around him.

They were ascending into the mountains now along a narrow winding road that was growing rougher the further they drove. Trees closed in on either side of the road and Bella felt their presence reassuring.

"Not really the car for this road," Jasper pointed out.

"Nope," Peter agreed pleasantly.

"Probably not good for it," Jasper said.

"Probably not, but since we're planning on moving on in a couple days, I guess I really don't care. Besides, I just got the car to drive you around. We couldn't have you magically disappearing and reappearing on the cameras at the airport, now could we, running to and from it at vampire speed? And leavin' on foot at human speed would look a little odd, too."

_Moving on_. Because of their visit. Bella was sure of it, even if she couldn't follow Peter's line of reasoning. Well, that at least explained his lack of enthusiasm at seeing his friend. But if they were nomads, why would having to move bother them, even if it was because of her and Jasper? Maybe that was it! They resented having to leave because of something out of their control. But why was her and Jasper's presence a catalyst for _that_? God, she hated being trapped in vehicles.

Jasper turned his head slightly to look at her sharply. _Right_. She was starting to fidget again. The door handle was now a useless piece of plastic in her lap.

"Sorry," she whispered.

Peter glanced at her in the mirror again. This time she did meet his eyes.

"S'alright. It's not my car," he told her, no sign of humor in his eyes.

~R~R~R~R~R~R~

A/N If anybody is familiar with plane flights and schedules, yes, I admit to taking artistic license with Jasper and Bella's route. Try not to get worked up about it. Just remember you're reading about VAMPIRES flying those non-existent routes. It will put it in perspective.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N **And...welcome to Chapter 2!

Last week, on Chaotic Dynamics...

_Jasper turned his head slightly to look at Bella sharply. Right. She was starting to fidget again. The door handle was now a useless piece of plastic in her lap._

_"Sorry," she whispered._

_Peter glanced at her in the mirror again. This time she did meet his eyes._

_"S'alright. It's not my car," he told her, no sign of humor in his eyes._

**Chapter 2**

Peter pulled off to the side of the road into a small gravel lot. Looking through the window, Bella could see a sign for a trailhead.

"This alright?" he asked Jasper.

"Good enough. Wait here?"

"You'll be long?" Peter asked.

Jasper shrugged. "Not long, probably. Hard to tell."

"This is a pain in the ass," Peter said bluntly. "It would have been a hell of a lot easier to just stop off in the red light district."

"Does Butte even _have_ a red light district?" Jasper asked, amusement clear in his voice as he got out of the car and opened Bella's door for her.

"_Every_ town has a red light district," Peter answered. "I'd think you'd remember that."

"We'll be back shortly," Jasper said, ignoring the jab. "Bella?"

Bella took his hand and followed him into the dark, not bothering to look back at the car and Jasper's waiting friend.

"I don't think I like him very much," Bella said quietly when she thought they'd moved far enough away from the car to not be overheard.

"Yeah, he can take some getting used to," Jasper agreed.

That was putting it mildly. Bella thought she rather liked the vampire they'd met in Greenland better. She let out a short growl. Jasper looked at her sharply, sensing her mood.

"Hey," he said, his eyes gentling, taking in her distressed stance as well as what she was feeling. "You don't have to like him, Bella. I certainly wouldn't expect you to, especially based on the way he's acting right now."

"What is up with that?"

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he'll tell me, maybe he won't. This is the first time you've really gotten to meet another vampire that isn't a real threat to you, Bella." Jasper paused, considering his words. "You know, we really are selfish creatures."

Bella nodded. Edward had always said the same thing. "Yes."

"Well, you're seeing it in action. I imagine he doesn't want to help us because it is not in his best interest."

"But...if this Maria is really trying to do something, like a power grab or something, isn't it in _all_ of our best interests to do something?" Bella asked, confused.

Jasper shook his head. "We just don't _think_ like that, Bella – at least, most of us don't. Carlisle's coven and the Denalis…well, we're different. Carlisle thinks it's the animal blood. We work together willingly, the large group of us. Vampires just don't _do_ that. Helping us…well, it might put Peter and his mate in danger. He's not really wanting to do something like that."

"The Volturi were bigger..."

"The Volturi had vampires with powers, especially Chelsea's. They were held together with smoke and mirrors, combined with a madman's thirst for power. Most vampires are solitary or paired with a mate, traveling nomadically or staking out small territories. Maria's behavior and the other southern vampires'...well, that's not normal behavior, either. Benito came up with that territorial expansion idea and it spread like a disease amongst the others in the south. They only perpetuate it through the use and control of newborn armies. There are very few vampires of any age in those covens. Maria's is the perfect example. It was just her and her two 'sisters', and then they found me. When Maria decided to 'keep' me past my newborn year, when she decided my power was useful…well, just the addition of me - one vampire - into the coven destabilized things and it caused them to turn on each other. Then it was just me and her for a long time. Then she added Miguel, but he eventually turned on her and I had to kill him. Then it was me and her again...and then Peter came along, but that didn't last long. He found Charlotte, and they were mates. When Maria tried to end that…well, they took off, and it was just me and her again. Then I left her, too."

"What did she do then?"

Jasper shrugged. "Not a lot, I would imagine. By then the Volturi had stepped in. They pretty much put a stop to all of that shit even before Peter and Charlotte took off. I'm sure she replaced me easily enough – women like her always do, even vampire women. I saw her a couple decades ago – she came by the Cullens'. She looked to be doing fine. It's time to hunt, Bella, so we can get back."

Bella recognized a subject change when she heard it. She was even able to recognize the new kind that Jasper used as a polite way to say, "It's time to stop talking about this". Carlisle, Emmett, Eleazar, and Jasper had all been very vague about things when they'd emerged from Carlisle's office three days earlier, and Jasper had not been too forthcoming since then. He'd only told her that he was going to talk to his sire, Maria, and that she was welcome to come along – that he _wanted_ her to come along but that it was no social visit, and he needed her absolute obedience in all things as long as they were on this trip together.

She'd agreed, of course, without hesitation, then was mortified that she'd agreed so fast.

Rosalie, who'd overheard the entire conversation, had been amused. As Jasper had left to go "get things ready" for their trip, Rose had appeared at Bella's side.

"_How does it feel now?" Rose asked smugly._

_"How does what feel?" Bella asked._

_"Having to obey your mate. Goes against everything you thought you knew, doesn't it?"_

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"Sure you don't. You just agreed to follow him to Mexico to see his old lover and you didn't even ask him any questions. Doesn't that seem just the least little bit wrong to you?"_

_Bella glared at her. Things had never gone smoothly between them, and now was no exception. "It's not like that, Rose. He's not going to visit his lover; he's going to talk to his sire…on Carlisle's orders. And it's Laredo, not Mexico."_

_"Whatever," Rose said, tossing her hair. "Doesn't change the fact that he and his 'sire' were lovers for almost a century."_

_Bella found herself flinching before she could stop it. "I don't have to obey him. It just makes more sense to..."_

_"You just keep telling yourself that, Bella. I know - why don't you try disobeying him while you're on this trip and see what happens then?"_

_Alice appeared at her other side. "Back off, Rosalie. Just because you're having a problem with all of this, it doesn't mean Bella is. Bella's right – it makes sense to do things this way."_

_"Easy for you to say, Alice," Rose spat, turning on her other sister. "You don't have to obey anybody except Carlisle."_

_Alice blanched, pain crossing her features._

_"Girls!" Esme said sharply, suddenly appearing in their midst. "Is there a problem here?"_

_"No," Rose muttered._

_"No, ma'am," Bella said, unsure if her answer was true or just automatic._

_"Rose is giving Bella a hard time," Alice said sweetly. "Bella doesn't really understand what is going on and Rose is trying to get her into trouble."_

_Rose glared at Alice but didn't deny her words. Esme sighed. ''Enough, Rose. When I asked you to help explain things to Bella, this is not what I had in mind. You may go to your room now." Rose huffed and walked away._

_"Bella, dear...why don't we sit down here? I think we need to talk about some things. Clearly, asking __Rosalie to help take care of this was a mistake."_

_"I don't know why you're surprised by this," Alice muttered._

_"Alice," Esme said gently, "you may leave, too, if you wish."_

_"Sorry, Esme. I'll stay…and keep my mouth shut."_

_Bella watched the interchange between them in confusion. She hadn't felt like this since she was eleven and her mother had set her down to give her The Talk. What in the world did they have to tell her that was so worrisome to them? She already felt pretty confident that she'd experienced more about Vampire Life than either of them could imagine - well, maybe not Alice. She could see quite a bit. But still, what could be worse than what she'd already been through?_

_Wait..._

_"Is this about peeing on trees?" she asked suspiciously._

_Esme and Alice looked at each other, clearly confused. "Peeing on trees?" Esme asked slowly._

_"Yeah, you know…vampires marking territory and all that stuff? Because if it is, then…well, Jasper explained it all to me already."_

_"He did?" Alice looked doubtful at Bella's words, but Esme just looked relieved._

_In fact, Esme looked a lot like Renee had when eleven year old Bella had informed her that they'd already had The Talk in school, complete with movies, slide shows, and handouts._

_"Oh! Well, in that case..." Esme said briskly, standing up._

_"Are you sure he did?" Alice asked again, staring carefully at Bella._

_Esme hesitated, clearly not sure she wanted to stick around – probably in case of a negative answer on her part, Bella thought with a snort to herself._

_"Positive. Way back in Kiev…"_

_"And...you're okay with it? It doesn't bother you?"_

_Bella shrugged. "Well, I mean, it seemed a little weird, you know, but ...whatever. I mean, we're really kind of a separate species, right? We're not human anymore, so...things are bound to be different. It's something I can live with, if that's what you're wondering."_

_"Well, yes, it is a little bit late for changing your mind now," Esme said with a little laugh. "You have accepted him as your mate, after all. Well, that certainly makes me feel better, knowing you went into the whole thing with your eyes open. I mean…it was all good and well with Edward, him being so young and under Carlisle's governance anyway, even if he was your sire, but Jasper is another matter __entirely. No, this is perfect. Well. I'm glad we were able to have this little talk, Bella, and I'm glad you understand this...aspect...of Vampire Life. Come, now, Alice, let's let Bella get upstairs to help Jasper now." Esme grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her out of the room. Alice turned to look at Bella over her shoulder, doubt and concern written on her face, but she made no move to break free of Esme's grip._

_Well, thought Bella, _that _was weird. She couldn't imagine why discussing the men marking off a territorial border was such a difficult thing for Esme to discuss. Jasper had told her none of the women even cared about it. Clearly, he was wrong about that. All three of them – Esme, Rose, and Alice – clearly had some sort of issue with the practice, based on what she'd just seen._

_Bella went upstairs to their bedroom to find Jasper putting things into a carry-on duffel bag._

_"What did they want?" he asked, distracted and not really paying attention to her._

_"Couldn't you hear?" she asked._

_He stopped what he was doing and looked up. "No. Sorry, I was on the phone."_

_"No multitasking?" she asked teasingly._

_He smiled at her. "I was talking on the phone, making reservations online for our flight, and trying to find my boxers with the little moose on them that you like so much. I decided to not listen in on your 'girl talk' and give you some privacy."_

_"Oh. Well, they just wanted to tell me about vampires marking their territory."_

_"Really?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Why would that require a special girl-meeting?"_

_"I have no idea," Bella said, shrugging. "Esme seemed to think that it would weird me out or something. I told her you'd already told me all about it back in Kiev."_

_"Yeah. Huh. That is odd." Jasper paused for a moment and stood up, a look of concentration on his face. Bella knew he was reaching out with his powers to 'feel' the rest of the family, probably trying to get some sort of information from their feelings to better understand what had just been discussed. She made sure her shield was wrapped tightly around herself so that it didn't interfere with his powers. The action came without thought now, so often had they practiced it together._

_After a moment he shrugged. "I don't know. Esme feels pretty pleased with herself. Okay, well, we're traveling light, so just pack a carry-on. We won't be gone long – a week at the most. It'll be hotter than hell down there, even at this time of year, but you still need to stay covered up. Do you have anything that will work?"_

_"Um...Alice said she was going to bring a couple things up in a few minutes that she thought might work."_

_"Good. Now remember – you do exactly what I say. And keep your mouth shut otherwise, __understand?"_

_She bristled again at his words, but his tone was nothing but kind. She understood. They were doing something dangerous, even for them, and her presence could be a liability…which was stupid. She had her shield. She could-_

_"And keep control of your shield, Isabella," Jasper said firmly, as if he could read her mind. "This is a friendly visit - a friendly visit to unfriendly people. The plan, right now at least, is not about going down there and killing people."_

_"I understand," she said quietly._

_"I know you do, babe," he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Now, we'll be leaving on the first flight out of Seward on Tuesday morning. Want to christen our new room while we wait?"_

"Bella. Bella? Isabella!" Jasper said, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her a little bit. "Come back to me. Where'd you go, babe?"

"Oh!" she said, startled. "I...was just thinking about the last couple nights!"

Jasper smiled. "And well worth thinking about, they are. But now we need to hunt. Do you want me to bring you something or do you want to join me?"

Bella glanced behind her, back in the direction of the car. It may have been almost a mile behind them, but that distance was nothing to a vampire and she had no desire to be left 'alone' with Jasper's friend-of-sorts.

"Together," she said, turning back to him.

"Alright," he said, beginning to strip off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"We're traveling again, Bella," Jasper explained, stopping in the middle of unbuckling his belt. "I don't want to get my clothes dirty. I don't know what kind of laundry facilities Peter and Charlotte have, so you probably should strip, too."

"Hunt naked? Here?"

Jasper looked around. "It's dark, Bella. There's no moon. We're in the middle of The Rockies, in the middle of a national forest. There are probably fewer people here than around the new house in Seward. And I'm not hunting naked – I'm keeping my boxers on."

He toed off his boots and dropped his jeans, revealing the moose-covered boxers he'd been looking for a couple days before. Bella had started to remove her coat but stopped to watch him. Then she giggled.

"Really, Jasper? Don't you feel silly?"

Instead of replying, Jasper reached out and grabbed her by a belt loop on her jeans and dragged her to his side. "Not really," he whispered, pulling her in close enough to nuzzle her neck. His hands pushed her shirt up her torso and over her head. "I _do_, however, want to see what type of underwear the _dignified_ vampire is wearing these days." His hands moved to unbutton her pants, pushing them down her legs to reveal a Hello Kitty thong.

"Really, Bella?" Jasper said. "Hello Kitty?"

"Alice said they were cute!"

"Alice is evil," Jasper said. "Don't buy underwear she suggests. _Now_ which one of us is silly? At least _my_ underwear choice is 'on topic' for hunting. You're going to look pretty ridiculous taking down an elk wearing those."

Bella answered the only way she could. Twisting out of his grip, she stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing into the darkness with a giggle.

Letting out a laugh, Jasper took off after her. Dinner could wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They returned from their hunt a couple hours later sated in more ways than one. Their clothing was safe and sound where they'd left it in the tree, but the same couldn't be said for the moose boxers and Hello Kitty thong. Those had been a total loss, although Jasper had been amused by the thought – the _hope_ – that some human hiker would come across their remains eventually, or at least catch sight of them high up in the Ponderosa Pine where he and Bella had left them.

Peter was waiting for them at the trailhead, sitting on the hood of the Prius - no mean feat, Jasper reflected, considering the shape of the car.

"Did you get enough?" Peter asked.

"For the moment," Jasper said with a smirk. "But, really, is it ever enough?"

Peter's eyes flickered to Bella and away again. "No, probably not. I s'ppose you'd like to go by and see Charlotte now?"

"Seeing as how we came all this way…yeah, that was the idea. A little visit. It's been years, Peter."

"Yeah, well, we been busy. And I thought you two were just passing through town."

"Whatever. You gonna invite us over or what?"

"Yeah, 'course. I gotta dump the car first, though. We'll drop it outside of town, then run to our place. We'll pick something else up in the morning to drop you off at the airport in."

"We can just call a cab," Jasper said.

"Yeah, I s'ppose you could, at that. That'd work, too, 'cept we don't have too reliable a service here in town - and definitely not at that hour of the day on a Sunday. And sure as hell not out to our cabin."

Once again Bella found herself in the backseat of the car, feeling just as uncomfortable as before.

They drove back down the mountain road, but as they approached the outskirts of town, Peter pulled over to the parking lot of an abandoned building, driving around behind it and shutting the car off.

"Alright, then, everybody out of the pool," he announced, opening his door and getting out. Jasper followed him, opening the door and reaching his hand in to help Bella out. He then went around the back and got their bags out of the trunk.

"We're about ten miles north of here. Come on, then." Peter took off running into the darkness, not bothering to wait for them or look back to see if they were following him.

Bella whimpered.

"You alright, babe?" Jasper asked, putting his arm around her.

"I don't want to go with him."

Jasper looked in the direction of where his friend had disappeared. "Aw, he's alright. Don't mind him, Bella."

"He doesn't want us here."

"We make him nervous," Jasper said.

"We make _him_ nervous?" Bella asked, incredulous.

"Well, he's heard all the rumors..."

"Wait... Rumors? What rumors?"

"About what happened in Romania with the Volturi. You don't honestly think word of that wouldn't have spread?"

"I...I guess I didn't think about it."

"Yeah, well, it _has_. We make people nervous, even our friends. Best thing we can do is go with him and tell him and Charlotte what really happened, sort of like making a public service statement. Consider it your first press conference, babe."

"I never liked attention..." Bella trailed off.

"I know, but trust me. We tell Peter and Charlotte the truth about what happened, and it will help us out in the end. Come on, now. He's not gonna wait for us."

They were finally able to catch up to Peter after a few miles of running. He might not have waited for them, but he was obviously running below speed, allowing them to catch up with him. None of them spoke as they ran together through the dark, Peter slightly ahead of Bella and Jasper.

Sooner than she liked, they were approaching a small cabin set back in the trees. They came at it from the back side, but Bella could see an overgrown rock driveway leading up to it. The cabin sat in darkness and Bella couldn't imagine that it was their destination.

"Probably not what you're used to," Peter mumbled, "but it's home. At least for now."

Bella looked around her, curious. The cabin was slowly returning to the landscape around it, the forest having encroached on it to the point that there was a small pine tree poking up through the rotted floorboards of the front porch. They entered through the back door, although it didn't look to be in much better shape than the front of the house.

The inside of the cabin did not match the outside. It was clearly not in the best of condition, either, but it was clean. They passed through a kitchen that looked to be a hundred years old and clearly not used at all, even though it had been cleaned up. The front room of the cabin was a different matter. There was a bed against one wall, neatly made up with a quilted coverlet. A worn out couch sat along another wall, stacks of books on the tables at either ends of it. A table with two chairs completed the room's furnishings, a monopoly game set up on the table. A lantern on the table cast a warm glow about the room and Bella noticed that the windows were boarded up, which explained the lack of any light seen from the outside.

A woman stood in the shadows along the far wall. Jasper stopped when they entered the room and Bella halted behind him, cautious as ever when meeting an unknown vampire.

Peter crossed the room and held his hand out, and the woman – or girl – stepped out and took it. She looked to be younger than Bella had been when she was turned. Her hair was even paler than Peter's, and it fell straight and flat, reaching barely past her shoulders. She wasn't much taller than Alice was, standing a few inches shorter than Bella herself. She had a fierceness about her, though, that made Bella nervous. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but she remembered that Peter and Charlotte had both had similar origins to Jasper, though they had been with the Southern Armies a very short time compared to Jasper. Charlotte, she remembered being told, had escaped with Peter before the end of her newborn year.

Jasper sent a wave of calm at her and she relaxed a bit into his back. Charlotte's eyes widened at this.

"Charlotte, I'd like you to meet Bella," Jasper said politely, tugging Bella up beside him.

"_Edward's_ Bella?" Charlotte asked, confusion in her voice as she stared at Bella. "But...I thought she was dead. I thought they were _both_ dead?" Charlotte looked between Peter and Jasper.

"_Jasper's_ Bella now," Peter said, watching Jasper carefully. "Isn't that right, Jasper?"

Jasper gave a sharp nod of his head.

"But...what happened to Alice?" Charlotte asked. "Did we hear it wrong? Was it she who was killed by the Volturi? She and the mind reader?"

Peter shook his head slowly. "Not by my understanding. But Jasper here has come to visit, Charlotte, and he's gonna tell us a tale. Aren't you, brother?"

Jasper nodded slowly. "That, I am. Can we sit? Or do you want to do this standing up?"

This seemed to stir something in Charlotte. "Of course! Where are my manners? Sit, sit, both of you!" She indicated the couch, and Jasper crossed the little room to sit down on the couch, pulling Bella down beside him. She'd already decided that she would just keep her mouth shut. She didn't know these people, she wasn't comfortable, and she wasn't about to interrupt Jasper and his storytelling, especially if he had some grand plan that he was putting into action.

Peter and Charlotte pulled the two chairs over from the table and settled themselves in, clearly ready to hear the story Jasper was going to tell them. Bella wondered briefly if they were truly interested in what he was going to say or if it was just another break in the monotony that was Eternal Life.

They listened as Jasper spun out the tale of what had happened to the Cullens in the last few years, starting all the way back before Bella was changed. Bella knew it was necessary, but part of her wished she'd stayed home and spared herself the experience. The only part of the story she really enjoyed was listening to Jasper's voice and the way his speech slipped further and further into the accent of his human years the longer he spoke with Peter.

Peter and Charlotte reacted in all the right ways in all the right places - horror at Edward's murder and Bella's imprisonment; pity for Bella and her treatment at the hands of the Volturi and the loss of her mate; shock at Chelsea's destruction of Jasper and Alice's bond; fear for the Cullens and their flight ahead of the Volturi guard; fascination at Jasper's search for Bella and their subsequent adventures in Siberia; concern at their continuous encounters with the werewolves – even more so that there was such a large population, even if it was a half a world away; and, finally, fright at his description of the final battle with the Volturi, combined with relief that they were no longer the threat that they'd so clearly become in recent times.

They both looked at Bella in morbid fascination when Jasper finished his story. "You destroyed the Volturi," Charlotte said in awe.

Bella drew back a little. "No!" she said, speaking for the first time. "No, I didn't. Marcus...Marcus did it. Weren't you just listening to Jasper?"

Peter looked at Jasper and then back to her. "We were listening. You destroyed them. Marcus just lit the funeral pyre. You and Jasper on the other hand..."

"It wasn't just me! It wasn't just _us_. There were the wolves, and the Cullens, and the Romanians..." she said.

"All anybody is going to hear is that it was _you_. You and _him_. People like a simple story. Make it too complicated, they don't wanna listen," Peter said. "People are saying it was Jasper, but I see now he had plenty of help. And _you_ – none of it would have happened without you." He exchanged a look with Charlotte and then looked back at Jasper. "People are nervous. I hear things. They don't know what you're gonna do next, Jasper. You _or_ the Cullens."

"I wasn't plannin' on doin' anything next, 'cept go home and spend a few years getting to know Bella."

"Yeah, well, that ain't gonna happen, I'm thinkin'. You got my message I sent along with Garrett?"

"Yeah, we got it. That's where we're heading now, down to Laredo. Any idea what she wants?"

"No. Probably just curious…worried, like me. Like everybody _else_. I'm kinda surprised to see you heading down that way…and taking Bella here with you."

Jasper shrugged. "We're safe enough."

"That ain't it."

"I know that. I gotta see what she wants, Peter. No sense putting it off. 'Specially no sense putting it off till she shows up on my doorstep. Last time Maria came to visit, it was a mess. Carlisle doesn't want that happenin' again."

"Any reason you came through Butte to get there?"

"Like I told you already, we're having to fly through small airports, avoiding all those new security measures. Needed a rural layover so we could hunt."

"Flying. _Right_. You couldn't just run down there like any respectable person. You have to fly, just like you was human." Peter snorted. To Bella it sounded like he was disgusted with the thought.

"Runnin' leaves a trail, Peter. It'd lead right back to the Cullens. I don't want that. Carlisle sure as hell doesn't want that. There's nothing wrong with making use of the airlines."

"It ain't natural."

"Says the vampire who drives a Prius."

"It wasn't my first choice. It was an easy steal."

"Right. Whatever. Look, you got a problem with anything else I'm doing here?" Jasper asked, starting to sound a little testy.

"I don't have a problem with you at all," Peter said, sounding defensive. His eyes slid to Bella and away again, so quickly she almost missed it.

"Well, then, what's your problem with my mate?"

"I ain't got a problem with," Peter hesitated for an instant, "_Bella_." He seemed reluctant to use the word 'mate'.

"Uh huh. I can tell." Jasper was all but snarling now, and Bella was tensed up beside him on the couch.

"Hey, now!" Peter held up his hands in a conciliatory manner. "Don't go gettin' all riled up, Jasper. You gave us a lot to think about, you gotta admit. It's a lot to take in. Don't go acting all surprised at me being a bit nervous and all."

Jasper forced himself to relax a bit back into the couch, wishing he could calm Bella down at the same time. To his surprise, she had not raised her shield until halfway through the conversation. He had to consider that progress of sorts.

"Right. Well, right…okay." Jasper took a deep, if unnecessary, breath. "Okay, well, obviously this isn't all just a social call. We wanted to tell you what really happened."

Peter nodded. "I understand. And I'm glad you did. _Really_."

"And I wanted to talk to you for a bit, Peter. Get your feel for what Maria might be up to down there."

"Yeah, I figured it'd be something like that," Peter grumbled.

"And 'sides, there anything wrong with wantin' to see your smilin' face again?" Jasper teased.

"I ain't smilin', Jasper."

"Yeah, I noticed that, Peter."

"You made a mess for all of us, doin' what you did over there."

"I did what I had to, Peter, to protect me and mine. You understand that."

"I do, 'specially now hearing the whole story. Doesn't change what's happenin' as a result, though." Peter shook his head. "Maybe we should walk a bit." He glanced at Bella and Charlotte and then back at Jasper. "You all right leaving her in here?"

Bella bristled at his words, but Jasper squeezed her hand - whether in reassurance or warning, she didn't know. She'd raised her shield halfway through their conversation. "Will you be all right, Bella, if I step outside with Peter?"

She wanted to say, "No!" but didn't want to be rude in front of Jasper's friends. Neither did she want to attack them or hurt them - or be hurt _by_ them. She glanced at Charlotte, only to find the little blond vampire staring back at her in curiosity. "I'll be fine," she whispered instead.

Charlotte smiled. She showed a lot of teeth when she smiled, Bella thought. But Charlotte didn't growl, so Bella decided to not take it as a threat. "I'll be fine," she said a little stronger. "You go on and discuss your manly things. Pee on some trees or whatever…"

Jasper nodded and squeezed her hand again. Standing, he and Peter left the room without another word.

Silence descended on the room. If Bella thought the silence in the air at the house in Alaska while they waited for the men to discuss their "plans" was uncomfortable, it held nothing on this. At least there she'd known all the vampires. This silence, though, dragged on till it was painful. She did her best not to fidget, though, and that at least seemed to be working.

Charlotte was the one that finally broke the silence.

"So..." she said hesitantly, looking around the small room. "I guess it's not what you're used to, huh?"

For some reason, this pissed Bella off. "No. Not really. I mean, the box in Italy was nice and all, but it didn't have much of a view. And Jasper and I have had some pretty nice caves in the last few years, but...no, nothing compared to this."

To Bella's satisfaction, Charlotte looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wasn't thinking. I'm just used to, you know, thinking about how the Cullens live..._you_ know...I wasn't thinking."

Bella instantly felt contrite. "It's okay. I know what you mean. I remember...when I was human..." Her words drifted away while she sifted through cloudy memories. "I was so..._impressed_ - with their house, their cars, their lives..."

"It _is_ impressive," Charlotte agreed. "Not something we could ever do, of course, Peter and I – not with how _we_ feed - but still, it is nice. I always like visiting them. It's safe…and relaxing."

Bella thought about this. She hadn't really felt safe since she and Edward had gotten on that plane to Italy years ago. She had started to feel safe with Jasper as they wandered around North America. But at the Cullens' new house? She still hadn't decided on that. "It _is_ relaxing," she agreed finally. "But this is nice. I like your cabin. It's cozy. I wouldn't mind something like this with Jasper."

Charlotte leaned forward in her chair. "So...was it awkward, going back..._you_ know, with Alice there and all?"

Oh, lord. Bella hadn't considered this. This was worse than an uncomfortable silence. Of course, Peter and Charlotte were Jasper's and Alice's friends…and Jasper and Alice had gone through the vampire equivalent of a divorce. Sort of. And now here she was, the 'other woman', talking to somebody that might be very..._put out_...at the idea of her taking what was perceived to be 'Alice's place' at Jasper's side.

Just because the family had adjusted – aside from Rose – it didn't mean the 'friends' would. And the 'friends', evidently, had just found out - not really a lot of time for them to adjust to the idea...

"Not that it's any of my business," Charlotte hastened to add, evidently sensing Bella's discomfort. "I was just curious. You know, it's such an odd situation. Usually when our mates are gone...well, you know all about that."

"Yes, I _do_ know 'all about that'," Bella said. All right, Jasper could come back _any_ time now.

Silence descended again.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Bella," Charlotte finally said, hesitant.

Bella sighed. She knew the girl she used to be would try to make things all better - try to make Charlotte comfortable, try to...well, she didn't really remember what Human Bella would have done exactly. But these were Jasper's friends. She shouldn't leave things on a bad note. Things were already shaky with them apparently.

Press conference. Public announcement. Spread the message, or whatever shit Jasper was spreading.

She smiled.

"Of course, Charlotte. This entire situation _is_ awkward. Don't worry about it."

Charlotte relaxed back into her chair and into the silence.

"So," Bella spoke this time. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Oh..." Charlotte waved her hand vaguely. "Strategy. Plans. Things like that, I imagine."

Bella looked at her. "Why can't they do that in here?" she asked, a bit more harshly than she'd intended.

Charlotte blinked at her in surprise, an oddly human reaction. "Well, I don't know. Maybe they thought we wouldn't be interested. I mean, are...are _you_ interested?" _She_ clearly was not - at least not much.

"Well, that's just stupid. Jasper knows I'd be plenty interested." She'd not really understood why Carlisle had not called a family meeting after the 'men' had discussed war strategy back in Alaska. Usually the Cullen Coven – the _family_ – was run in a fairly democratic matter. On the other hand, considering the amount of shouting, arguing, and general mayhem that often ensued during a family meeting, over things as simple as where the next big hunting trip would take place, well...maybe it made plenty of sense that it had been bypassed in a case like this.

But now? How much mayhem could any plans cause, especially when at least one member of the group was not interested at all in..._strategy_? Would it have really killed them to stick around here to talk about it?

Besides. Jasper had had his strategy laid out before they'd stepped onto the first plane. There was no way he'd be changing it now, not if she knew him. No, this was something else.

Probably something about _her_. Yes, she was paranoid. She had plenty of reason to be.

She was definitely ready to find a hotel…or a dark corner at the airport - any place but here - to wait until their plane departed.

"Oh. Well...I'm sure they'll be back in a bit." Charlotte sounded doubtful. She glanced around the room. "Um...we don't really entertain much. Would you like to play cards?" She turned to the table and quickly picked up the Monopoly game and put it away. A deck of cards appeared in its place.

Bella tried not to look shocked. Cards? Really?

"We could play Rummy, and when the men get back we could play Pinochle. We don't often have four people for that – and it's not nearly as fun with two people." Charlotte was gaining enthusiasm as she spoke.

"I don't know how to play Pinochle," Bella blurted out.

Charlotte's face fell. "Oh. Bridge?"

"Uh – no."

"Canasta?"

Bella was pretty sure her grandmother had played that.

"No."

The men chose that moment to reappear, silently coming through the doorway. Bella thought she might be more relieved to see Jasper now than she had been in Romania when she'd returned to the castle with the Volturi.

She threw her shield around him and let him know exactly just _how_ uncomfortable, aggravated, and ready to leave she was. It didn't even require looking at him.

It was a truly beautiful way to communicate, if she did say so herself.

Jasper flinched.

"Well, Peter," Jasper said. "I do thank you for your hospitality. Charlotte, it was good seeing you again, even if it was under these circumstances."

"You're leaving?" Charlotte asked, sounding dismayed. "But you just got here! We were going to play cards..." She looked at Peter for confirmation of this.

Bella sent a silent message of disagreement at her mate.

"Jasper and Miss Bella need to be leaving, Charlotte. Jasper has some things to take care of and he can't do it out here in the boondocks. They'll come back through on their way back and stay for a bit longer. Be more of a social visit then."

Bella looked at Jasper now for confirmation. This had not been part of the original plan he'd laid out. And Peter had definitely said he and his mate were leaving town soon. But Jasper was nodding.

"Yes. We'll be back. We'll stay longer then."

_Great_. Bella couldn't _wait_. Jasper sent a silent reprimand at her and she cut him off with her shield. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, but he didn't say anything. She wrinkled her nose at him and then looked away.

"Charlotte. Peter. It was lovely meeting you both." She stood up and walked over to Jasper. "I look forward to seeing you again in a few days."

"Same here, Miss Bella. You have a safe trip with Jasper."

"I'm sure we will," Bella said. "We'll catch you later, Peter…Charlotte." She didn't want to drag Jasper out of there, no matter how much she wanted to leave, but he was the one that said they were leaving. So...they could leave. _Now_. Now would be good.

Thankfully, he seemed to agree. "Peter, I'll call you when we're on our way back. I've given us a week in Laredo, but I'm not sure how long this is actually going to take."

Peter nodded. "Good enough. We'll see you when we see you. Take care, Jasper. Miss Bella."

Then they were out the door, duffle bags over their shoulders, and running through the dark woods. Bella felt better immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They had run several miles in the darkness back toward the town of Butte before Jasper spoke, pulling in closer to Bella as he did so. He knew there was no use asking her to stop running in order to talk – she'd probably do better talking while she ran, anyway.

"So...care to explain to me what happened back there?" he asked.

She glanced sideways at him. "Are you going to lecture me on being rude?"

"Do I sound like I'm lecturing you?" he asked mildly. "I'm just curious. Clearly, something happened while Peter and I were out."

"Yeah," she muttered, "while you and Peter were out having a secret pow-wow, making plans that we women-folk are clearly not capable of having a say in."

Understanding washed over Jasper. "Is that what this is all about?"

"No," she said petulantly. "Not really," she amended, wanting to be honest.

"Well, I can tell you that us leaving to 'make plans'…well, that was all Peter."

"Uh huh. Blame him – you already know I don't like him."

"I was being respectful, Bella. He wanted to hear my plans away from Charlotte. He wanted to be able to think things over before discussing them with her."

"And you knew this how? I never heard him tell you that." She sounded like a brat. She knew she did, but she was still thankful that Jasper didn't call her on it.

For his part, he knew she'd come around on her own. Jasper wasn't one for wasting his breath - even _unnecessary_ breath.

"I knew this because I know _him_, Bella. It's how he..._rolls_. How _they_ roll."

"It's so..._old fashioned_."

"Well, they _are_ old. Not as old as me – indeed, younger than Emmett - but still, from a different time."

"Yeah, I got that. She wanted to play Canasta. Or _Bridge_."

Jasper laughed. "I love playing Canasta; Bridge, not so much. Now, are you going to tell me what happened while I was gone?"

Bella noticed his accent had disappeared again. She missed it now that she'd heard it.

"Are you being a Nosy Nellie?" she asked playfully, feeling better and more like herself now that they were alone again.

"No. I want to know if we even need to bother coming back through here after Laredo. There'll be no need to if you and Charlotte don't care for each other. As much as I like Peter, none of us needs that kind of stress right now."

"Oh," Bella said, feeling bad for doubting his reasons. "Um, well..."

He stopped running and reached out to grab her arm to swing her around to face him, all in one smooth move.

"Bella?" Her shield was down and he could feel how upset she was.

"She asked...she asked about _Alice_ - if it was awkward for us, you know, being around her..."

"Oh. I'm sure she didn't mean anything bad with her question, Bella. She's just curious," Jasper said. It wouldn't be the last time people asked something like this. Losing a mate in such a manner and finding a new one...well, it was unheard of in their world. The very idea would make any vampire nervous. The bond of a mate, for most of them, was the one thing that made this life worth existing in - for those that were able to look past their bloodlust, at least.

"I get that. I assumed that she was just curious, but..."

"You're still feeling guilty about it," he said quietly.

"Yes."

"Well, that is understandable." He smiled ruefully. "I am, too…_and_ I'm uncomfortable. Going back to the Cullen house…was more difficult than I thought it would be."

Bella nodded. "Yes. And when Charlotte asked that…well, I just suddenly felt like a human who was involved in a divorce, like I'd broken up your marriage - you know, like a 'you get the dog, I get the friends' sort of thing. What if…well, what if Charlotte would rather you still be with Alice? What if she resents my presence in your life?"

Jasper shook his head. "Okay, for starters, you did _not_ break up my marriage. Charlotte and Peter, they understand this. We are not human, Bella. There is no way another vampire can come between a mated pair. The very fact that my bond with Alice was broken and I formed a new one with someone else – _that_ is what will fascinate people - fascinate and _scare_. This will not be the first time we are questioned about it. Peter did his share of grilling me, let me tell you. For another thing, Charlotte and Alice were never that close. They've only met a few times. Charlotte's only ties to me are the fact that I didn't kill her in her newborn year, I let her live to escape at the _end_ of her newborn year, and my friendship with her mate. Even when we were travelling together - after they came and rescued me from Maria - we never became that close. I wasn't the touchy-feely friendly guy that you've come to know and love, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be getting up close and personal with another male's mate back then."

Bella took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't get along with your friends, Jasper."

Jasper shrugged. "It's not a big deal, Bella, nor is it surprising. I keep telling you, the Cullens and Denalis are anomalies in the vampire world. Distrust and caution when meeting a new vampire is normal, even more so when you meet a pair. Two are more likely to kill you than a loner. It will probably take several visits before you are comfortable with them. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something _really_ bad between you two."

"Oh. No. Not really. Just uncomfortable. We can visit them again."

"Good. Good to know." He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her lips quickly.

"Are we going to a hotel?" Bella asked.

"Nope. We're going to the airport."

"But...our flight isn't until the day after tomorrow. Or, I guess _now_ it's tomorrow."

"Change of plans. I always have a backup plan. Alice saw this - saw my decision to leave early - and she's probably already having our tickets changed."

"I'm being a problem, aren't I?" Bella asked quietly.

"Not a bit. I'll let you know if you're a problem, Bella. And I don't anticipate that happening. Just..."

"Just what?"

"If you could just keep the fidgeting down to a minimum, that would be good. You've gone beyond 'looking human' and definitely entered the 'looking like you have something to hide' level of nervousness. Really. I'm serious, Bella. You're attracting unwanted attention."

"We should have just run. Why didn't we just run to Laredo?"

Jasper sighed. They'd covered this already.

"Because, Bella, Maria doesn't know where we live. We don't _want_ her to know where we live. We don't _want_ to leave a ground trail for her to follow back."

"Can't she just look us up on the internet?"

Jasper shrugged. "Maybe. In all honesty, we don't know what level of..._technology_...she's operating on. That's one of the purposes of our visit, remember?"

"I know, I know. Sorry." Bella started shifting from foot to foot nervously. "All right. To the airport, then? Won't we look odd arriving on foot, like Peter said?"

"We might, but I'm gonna pick us up a car once we get into town."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Really? Beg, borrow, or steal?"

"Steal."

"Why, Mr. Whitlock, I'm shocked! I didn't know you had it in you."

"I'm a man of many talents, Bella."

"So I'm beginning to appreciate. Do I get to pick the color?"

"Within reason."

_Within reason_. He'd said, "Within reason," Jasper thought. Within reason evidently meant different things to different people.

For instance, there was no way in hell that a 1967 Dodge Charger – a _purple_ 1967 Dodge Charger - could fall into _anybody's_ category of 'within reason', except, apparently, Bella's. He tried to talk her out of it…sort of…but he didn't have the heart to insist, not once he saw how excited she was about it.

Bella liked muscle cars. Who'd have thought it? Obviously none of the Cullens. She'd always had such a seemingly negative reaction to their taste in fancy, expensive cars. Thinking back on it, though, he couldn't remember any of them actually _asking_ her what kind of cars she liked, if any. Her love for her 'vintage' truck should have been a clue, if they'd paid any attention. Evidently, Bella _did_ have a vehicle preference. Evidently, it was American Heavy Metal.

Or maybe it was just purple cars.

At any rate, five minutes after they'd entered the storage facility, he had the alarm disarmed, the garage door opened, and the car hotwired. They'd barely moved before his phone rang.

"Alice?" Bella asked when he hung up.

"Yeah. She said to tell you 'nice ride'." Jasper grinned. "And also to inform you that, _no_, there isn't any time for joyriding. Our flight leaves in two hours. If we go straight to the airport, they will be getting ready to change security shifts and they won't be checking people too closely – at all, actually. We'll even get to keep our shoes on. Sorry, babe. No joyriding this morning."

"Oh, that's okay. If we drove it around, we might get caught."

"Not likely," Jasper muttered.

"Well, I'll just enjoy it while it lasts."

Jasper gunned the motor and the tires squealed as they pulled out of the parking lot of the storage facility and headed across town to the airport.

They made their flight without incident. The little plane took them to Salt Lake City, and from there they flew to Houston. There was no way to fly via smaller airports this part of their trip. At least boarding at a small airport allowed them to bypass the more stringent security measures at the larger airports.

"The city of my birth," Jasper said, looking out of the window in the boarding lounge at the huge buildings in the distance. "It might as well be another planet."

"Does it make you sad?" Bella asked, coming up to stand beside him and slipping her arm around his waist.

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. A little bit. I haven't been back here in ages – not since Peter, Charlotte, and I came through here after they 'rescued' me. Even then, it was a world away from the town I remembered."

"I can't imagine," Bella said.

"Well, give it a century or two and you won't have to," Jasper said, smiling wryly.

"Hmph!" Bella snorted. "I really can't imagine _this_," she gestured through the window, "happening to _Forks_."

"No, that's true. Forks doesn't really occupy a strategic spot in anybody's book. But still, the changes you'll see...well, it happens so slowly that a lot of times you don't realize it's going on."

"So, what is first on the agenda when we land?"

"Well, it'll be around 7:30 pm. This time of year, it will be dark already there. We'll pick up a car, and then, if you're up to it, maybe run by a store to pick up some more clothing." He looked at her, knowing how much she liked to shop.

She stretched and pretended to yawn. "Well, I _am_ tired from traveling all day...but, I suppose I could stand a trip to the store before I go to sleep. What sort of clothes do we need?"

"Nothing fancy, just..." he trailed off and looked her up and down, "Well, we need to decide what image we want you to project to Maria…and anybody else she might have with her."

"I thought I was just your latest _puta_? I brought a nice miniskirt, tights, and a top that shows off my boobs nicely. Lots of cleavage, lots of skin..."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Not that I wouldn't like seeing that, but no - even if you _are_ supposedly my latest whore. You're first and foremost - and _only_ - my mate, and you're not dressing like that."

"Okay… So what are you telling Maria about me? You never did say. Can't we just tell her the truth?"

Jasper took her hand and led her back to the seats. They still had 45 minutes till their flight and the lounge was fairly empty.

"We can't tell her you're my mate," he said. "If she knows I have a mate, it…well, it could be used against me."

"What?" Bella said loudly, earning glances from curious people around them. "What?" she asked again more quietly. "When were you planning on telling me this? Oh..." she moaned. "I shouldn't have come. I'm putting you in danger, distracting you…"

"No!" Jasper said sharply, garnering more stares. "No, you are _not_ putting me in danger. If you weren't with me, I would be even _more_ distracted. Our bond is still new – we can't be apart for long without there being..._repercussions_, Bella."

"Repercussions?" she whispered. This was the first she'd heard of any..._repercussions_. "And you were planning on telling me this _when_?"

Jasper nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "Yes. In a normal situation, it would never be an issue. Vampires find their mate, the bond is formed, and...well, there is never a reason for them to part. After they've been together for a while – years…decades, you understand – then brief separations are possible without too much distress. But this early? I would be a wreck, Bella. _You_ would be a wreck! And by 'wreck' I mean it's entirely possible that you'd end up tearing the house apart looking for me before taking off after me, and vice versa - _not_ really what I need to be doing in the middle of this meeting, ya know?" He grinned at her. "Carlisle knows this – it's part of the reason you got to come along with me. He knew it would be worse than useless to keep you at home.

"But with you on my arm...well, it actually will _help_ give the impression that I _don't_ have a mate. It is well known in the vampire world that I have been with Alice for all these years - and before her, Maria. If I show up now with another female...well, it will be thought that Alice and I were merely lovers, just as Maria and I were, and that you are merely my _new _lover - a weakness, perhaps, but not nearly as much as a mate would be. We just have to find outfits that say 'whore' without showing too much..." He nodded to himself, happy with his view of the subject.

"But...won't she have heard all the rumors about Chelsea and everything?"

Jasper shrugged. "Maybe. But Maria has been around a very long time, Bella. She knows better than to believe rumors or base any of her judgments on them. No, she'll put her trust in what she sees and feels. Probably part of the reason she's looking for me. I may have left her, and we have not been on the best of terms since, but...she'll probably trust what I have to say."

"But…won't she just think you're _making_ her trust you?" Bella asked, confused now. "I mean, she _knows_ you, Jasper. She _made_ you…and used you and your talent for a century!"

"She did, Bella. And believe me, she knows better than most what I'm capable of. She also knows better than most how to recognize when I'm using my 'talent' on her. Trust me on that one."

Bella scrunched up her nose in distaste. She didn't want to think too deeply about how much this _Maria_ knew about Jasper's talent…or how he'd 'used' it on her.

"No," Jasper continued, ignoring the jealousy that rolled off his mate now, "if I just tell her a version of the truth and not put anything 'behind' it, she's likely to accept it as the full truth. Besides, we don't even know what she wants. That's why we're doing this."

"Yeah, I know. What if she really _does_ want you back?"

"She can 'want' as much as she...well, _wants_. It's not happening – not unless she's crazier than she was 70 years ago - and believe me, that would be tough. She's not expecting me to come back."

"This could be a trap," Bella said. It wasn't the first time she'd expressed this fear, nor had she been the only one.

"I don't think so, Bella. She'd know better than to try."

"Cocky much?" Bella asked, smiling at him. "She could have vampires with powers now - vampires that she didn't have before-"

"Not likely," he said, shaking his head. "She never _did_ like having talented vampires around - I told you that already. And the Volturi never would have tolerated her having anybody of talent around her, not after they cleaned house down here all those decades ago. Believe me, they kept a _very_ close watch on the Southern Vampires after that."

"But the Volturi are gone," Bella whispered.

"Yes, and therein lies our current problem. However, even if she _is_ taking advantage of the situation, anyone she's created since the Volturi were destroyed is going to still be too young to be a threat to us, Bella. You and I, we're a powerful team. And I'm not just saying that. _You_ know this. Romania wasn't a fluke. We are not to be fucked with, Bella. Now, we don't necessarily want her finding that out. But we're safe. Trust me."

"I do, Jasper," Bella whispered. "Always."

The ticket agent called for boarding at that moment and they gathered their bags and headed for the line. Jasper noticed with pride that Bella had neither fidgeted nor destroyed any furniture during their wait in spite of the fact that she'd been nervous. Any sort of progress was progress in his book.

They ended up stopping at a department store that was near the Embassy Suites, where they were booked. Bella had tried to tempt Jasper into stopping at the Walmart they'd passed when leaving the airport, but Jasper told her there was no way he was going into _that_ 'hell on earth'.

They picked up a week's worth of clothing - all of Bella's outfits needing to be Jasper-approved first – before heading back out to their car and making their way to the hotel.

"I feel like a kept woman having to have you approve my wardrobe," Bella grumbled. "And _you_ were getting _way_ too much pleasure out of that – don't deny it, Jasper. And that sales lady, _she_ probably thought I _was_ your whore…or that you were some kind of asshole control freak."

Jasper grinned. "More like the latter, I'm thinking, based on her emotions."

Bella glared at him. "I'm sure she was appalled."

"Nope." He grinned bigger and leaned across the console to whisper to her. "She was _turned on_. I think Miss Sales Associate likes her men to be controlling."

"Eww! Too much information!" Bella squealed, leaning away from him. "I did _not_ need that visual!"

"She was _especially_ turned on when I made you walk back and forth in those fuck-me-pumps."

"Asshole. I wondered what that was for. I thought you just wanted to make sure I didn't fall on my face in them."

Jasper leaned back in the driver's seat and laughed. "Not likely, Bella. You're a vampire now – not much chance of you tripping, now is there?"

"You never know," Bella muttered. "The bitch is probably sitting back there fantasizing about you ordering her around even as we speak. All 'Yes, Master Jasper' and 'No, Master Jasper'…"

"Probably," Jasper agreed cheerfully. "I have to find amusement where I can, Bella."

"Asshole," she muttered again.

An hour later, they'd showered, changed, called home, and were waiting in their room on the top floor of the Embassy Suites, Laredo.

"How long?" Bella asked, sitting on the edge of the couch and idly flipping through the channels on the television. She'd just about decided that now would be a good opportunity to learn Spanish – most of the stations seemed to be coming from over in Mexico.

"Not long. The hotel is being watched."

"It is?" she asked.

"Yep. I could smell them when we pulled in."

Bella sat back on the couch with a huff. "I suck. I didn't notice anything."

"You don't suck, Bella. Not all vampires have the same level of ..._hunting skills_."

"Yeah, well, you'd think I'd have some sense of self-preservation. I can't even smell strange vampires in the area! I mean, come on now!"

"I don't know why you'd think you'd have _any_ sense of self-preservation. You never did as a human. We carry over a lot of our human traits when we change, you know…"

Bella flung a pillow at him. It exploded on impact, little bits of foam stuffing flying everywhere.

"Hey, now!" Jasper protested, wiping foam off his shoulders.

At that moment the hotel phone rang, bringing their play to a halt.

They looked at the phone and then at each other before looking back at the phone. Slowly, Jasper picked it up.

"Speaking. Yes. Tell her I'll be right down. Thank you." He hung the phone up carefully and looked at Bella.

"Maria's downstairs waiting for us in the bar."

Bella nodded silently.

"Ready for this?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"All right, then." He held out his hand for her and pulled her up off the couch before hugging her gently. "Let's do this."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N It's a day late. Sorry! There's lots of reasons/excuses, none of which are very interesting. At least not as I sit here at 1:30 am on Wednesday...

Chapter 5

When they got off the elevator, Jasper saw Bella's eyes sweep the lobby, trying to decide which, if any, of the women she saw was Maria.

"She'll be in the bar," Jasper whispered, almost soundlessly. He kept one arm around Bella's waist, hand firmly planted on her hip, as they crossed the atrium toward the bar. His other hand held hers firmly. His touch, and the waves of reassurance he sent, kept her calm. All their senses were on high alert as they headed for the bar tucked away in one corner of the atrium. Bella, for her part, did not detect anything until they were almost _at_ the bar. Jasper, however, could smell Maria and three others whose scents he did not recognize. All four were alert, curious, and cautious but nothing more than that. He detected no threat from any of them and it allowed him to relax even more.

Bella had slowly dropped her shield from them, just as they had previously decided. It left Jasper feeling a bit exposed, but he knew she'd have it up around him in an instant if it became necessary. As she walked beside him, he noticed her slowly change her demeanor until it appeared that she was hanging on his arm rather than walking beside him as an equal. He wondered for a moment where she'd come up with that look – it didn't become her at all but it certainly looked authentic. Maybe she was channeling Jessica Stanley or Lauren Mallory, vaguely remembered from her human days.

However she was doing it, it was working. He could feel all four of the vampires watching them dismiss the female accompanying him and focus their attention on him alone, just as he'd hoped they would. He squeezed Bella's hand once, letting her know that everything was going well so far.

The bar was empty except for a lone figure sitting at a table on the far side. Under normal circumstances, it might have seemed odd at this time of night in a hotel that was anything but empty. But that lone figure exuded such a threatening aura that no human with any sense of self-preservation would come near it. Even the bartender was keeping himself busy doing nothing at the far end of the bar, as far away from the woman as was physically possible.

Jasper smiled wryly. Maria hadn't lost her touch. She could charm the pants off any man when she chose to, but obviously right now she had other things on her mind. He felt Bella begin to tense up beside him, so he squeezed her hand again, hoping to reassure her. As threatening as Maria seemed right now, Jasper could sense no actual threat coming from her. It was more of an absence of her usual 'charm' rather than any actual threat.

He crossed the room slowly, not wishing to appear in any way threatening. The other three vampires had closed in on their position, carefully observing the three in the bar from positions in the atrium, although they came no closer. Caution was the emotion of the hour, and it rolled off in waves from every vampire present. Jasper could smell the fear of the human bartender increase as the sweat started beading on his forehead. Jasper took pity on him and sent a wave of calm in his direction in an effort to prevent the man from bolting from the room screaming. The last thing they needed was to draw the attention of the management.

He and Bella stopped at the table but did not sit down. He surveyed the little vampire in front of him, taking in her appearance. She was still the same little dark haired Hispanic woman who'd changed him almost 150 years earlier, but there was a difference now that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

Then he realized what it was. The last time he had seen her, when she'd visited the Cullens, she'd been dressed in an odd assortment of cast-off clothing obviously stolen from victims. In fact, the whole time he'd been with her, for nearly a century, she had always worn cast-offs. They _all_ had. Appearances had meant little to her…or any of them, for that matter.

But now...well, _that_ had obviously changed. The woman who was sitting at the table, surveying him and Bella with the same curiosity that he had, was dressed in modern clothing - up-to-date, obviously new and not cast-off, clothing. Clearly, something had changed in Maria's world. Warning bells had gone off when she'd suggested meeting in such an open human venue to begin with, but they were chiming even _louder_ now. He still didn't feel any danger, but...any change needed to be carefully evaluated. And already there were two major changes in her behavior.

"Maria," he said softly with a quick nod.

"Jasper," she said, quickly standing. Her voice and its accent were melodic, soft…beautiful. It in no way matched the sense of danger and threat that still rolled off her.

Jasper pulled a chair out for Bella, waiting for her to be seated before pushing her chair in and seating himself.

"All right, Maria, I'm here. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Maria laughed. "Ah, Jasper, querido…are you not going to introduce me to your friend?" She eyed Bella, clearly trying to decide what exactly her relationship to Jasper was.

"Maria, this is Isabella. My…_friend_. Isabella, this is Maria, my sire," Jasper said dismissively.

"Isabella, is it?" Maria continued to stare at her. "What happened to Alice?" Maria looked at Jasper.

Jasper shrugged. "She's with the Cullens". He sounded like he could care less.

Maria's eyes narrowed, taking in the color of his eyes and Bella's. "It would appear you are, too, as is your new 'friend' here. She's quite young, Jasper, isn't she? And pretty…" She eyed Bella, speculation on her face now.

"Isabella, is it?" she repeated.

Bella nodded mutely.

"Are you her sire, Jasper? Are you turning your own lovers now?"

"I found her," Jasper said, quite honestly.

"_Found_ her...well, what a lucky find. Just out wandering around, was she?"

"Pretty much."

"Hmmm. And tell me, child, did he force you to change to feeding from animals?" Maria looked at Jasper again. "That wasn't very kind of you, Jasper."

"She was eating a reindeer when I found her," Jasper said, again able to stick to honesty.

"Hmmm…" Maria dismissed Bella again. "Well, you didn't answer my question about the Cullens. Are you still a part of Carlisle's coven?"

"Off and on." Jasper shrugged again. "You know how much feeding from humans bothers me with my ..._abilities_. What does this have to do with anything?"

"It has _everything_ to do with why I am looking for you, Jasper."

"I am not returning to your side, Maria, if that is what this is about," Jasper said firmly.

Maria laughed loudly this time, loud enough for the bartender to look their way before quickly looking away again and focusing on his glass polishing. "Oh, mi querido, I don't _need_ you by my side, let alone do I _want_ you. I have a _new_ general. I just want to know if you are still affiliated with the Cullens."

Jasper's eyes narrowed, confused. "You needed to see me in person to ask that?"

Maria shrugged. "No. That is just the first of _many_ things I want to ask you. And tell you. And show you."

"For all intents and purposes, then, _yes_ - yes, I am still affiliated with the Cullens."

"Do you consider yourself part of Carlisle's coven?"

"Yes, I do," he said firmly.

"Well, then, is it safe to say that you are here as his representative?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes."

Maria clapped her hands a couple times and gave another little laugh, looking for all the world like she was a twelve year old girl. "Perfect!"

"What is this about, Maria?" Jasper asked, clearly out of patience. He still was picking up no sense of threat from any of the vampires. In fact, the earlier aura of curiosity - at least from the three who still remained out of sight - had now faded to that of boredom.

"Oh, Jasper, we just want to know how much you Cullens are going to interfere in what we have going on down here."

"And _what_, exactly, do you 'have going on down here', Maria?" Dread filled him, and he could feel it coming from Bella, too. Surely Maria was not building another army… "You aren't building another army, are you? _Tell_ me that shit isn't starting up again, Maria."

Maria laughed again. "Oh, Jasper! What would you do if I _was_ building an army? The Volturi and their threat of retaliation are _gone_." Jasper started to reply, but she interrupted him. "But no, I am _not_ building an army." She glanced around the empty bar and then leaned over the table - as if, Jasper thought with a not-so-silent snort of laughter, any human could hear their conversation even if there _were_ any present.

"That is _so_ unnecessary nowadays. Haven't you noticed, Jasper? These humans breed like _rats_ now. They're _everywhere_! Battles for territory…pfft! That is _so_ unnecessary. Newborns are just more mouths to feed. I don't need them anymore, Jasper. I have a few loyal guardsmen – I'm sure you noticed some of them on your way here – and, of course, my new general. That is all I need now."

"I was always under the impression it was just as much about power for you, Maria, as it was about the territory," Jasper said. He was honestly puzzled by the changes in her.

"And now I have _both_, Jasper - power, control, territory – and I don't have the mess of having to control an army of unruly newborns. You truly were the best there ever was in _that_ area, Jasper. And as long as _others_ don't interfere in what I have here-" Her voice was threatening once again.

"And what, exactly, do you 'have here', Maria? I admit, you lost me there," Jasper interrupted, allowing his feelings of confusion to seep into the space around him.

"Well now, that is what I want to show you, Jasper - show you so you can understand, understand exactly what you – and the Cullens – are dealing with so you'll know to leave me - and mine - the hell alone."

"Why would the Cullens even care about what you have going on?" Jasper asked. "They never have before." Well, that wasn't exactly true, but Carlisle had never interfered in anybody else's business, no matter how much he abhorred what they did. And, in all honesty, Maria had led a fairly low-key existence since the Volturi had stepped in and destroyed the armies and he had left her.

"You have to come across the river to see, Jasper. Bring your friend with you. She'll enjoy it, I'm sure."

Jasper hesitated. He didn't particularly want to cross into Mexico, but he was still feeling no threat from the vampire across the table from him or the others. He nodded slowly.

"All right. Do you cross by the bridge?"

Maria scoffed. "_Please_, mi querido. We do not indulge in these humans' games of Border Crossings and Patrols. We cross where we please."

"We need to hunt first," Jasper said.

"Of course you do." Maria snorted in disgust. "These humans have exotic game ranches south of the city. Go hunt and then cross near Benito Juarez. Somebody will be waiting for you there. Try to be there by 4 am – we still do not go about in the daylight."

Jasper nodded slowly. "All right." He stood up and took Bella's hand, pulling her up beside him. Maria stood up as well. "It was good speaking to you, Maria." He held his hand out to shake hers.

"Ah, querido, a handshake? After all we have shared?" Maria grabbed Jasper's face and kissed him on the lips, lingering longer than necessary and staring at Bella as she did so. Bella fought back a growl, knowing that showing any signs of possessiveness on her part could give away their actual relationship. Instead she settled on glaring at the little dark haired vampire.

Jasper pulled back sharply from the kiss. "Don't start shit, Maria," he said angrily. "Remember what happened last time."

"Oh, I remember," Maria said, laughter still in her voice. "But there's no Carlisle here to throw me out. And your little Isabella hardly looks the type to protest."

"Benito Juarez, 4 am," Jasper said, stepping further back from her and pulling Bella with him. "We'll be there. Make sure your man is, too."

"Oh, he will be. Till then, Jasper," Maria said, walking around them and out the door.

They silently followed her progress across the atrium and out the front door of the hotel before speaking.

"What-" Bella began, but Jasper shushed her with a finger against her lips. He reached down and pulled a pen from his pocket and then wrote on the corner of a napkin.

"They're still listening. Don't speak."

Bella nodded silently. "All right," she mouthed.

"Well, shall we hunt, babe, and then take Maria up on her invitation?" Jasper said aloud.

"Sounds good," she answered.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N A big "thank you" goes out to my Full Service Super-Beta, JaspersDestiny, whose services now include wake-up email pings on Tuesday mornings with something along the lines of "POST, DAMMIT!"

_P.S. you should probably all thank her, too!_

Chapter 6

"Let's change for hunting, babe. I don't want you ruining those pretty clothes I just bought you," Jasper said when they got back to the hotel room.

"All right," Bella said, sending a wave of curiosity and aggravation at him again. He held a finger to his lips and shook his head. "Um...what should I wear?" she asked brightly, using what she thought sounded like a 'bimbo' voice.

He grinned in approval, knowing she was trying to stay in character even though she didn't know why it was necessary.

"Well...nothing at all would be my first choice. I'd like to fuck you thoroughly before we head over there...but I suppose just your old hunting clothes will do. We'll carry our other clothes in a backpack and change before we meet up with Maria's _friend_ in Benito Juarez. You may be able to run through the desert in heels with no problem now, but that doesn't mean the shoes can take that sort of punishment. And I want you looking pretty when we meet our new _friends_."

Bella wrinkled her nose in disgust and stuck her tongue out at him. He was taking this charade a bit too far in her opinion. It just made him smile wider, though. She quickly stripped out of her miniskirt, heels, and tank top and pulled on old jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes in their place – all while deftly avoiding his grasp. _Fuck_ her, indeed. She'd show _him_ fucking - or the lack thereof. She carefully folded up the other outfit and stuffed it in the backpack Jasper had put on the bed, on top of the clothes that he'd already packed for himself. She noticed that he was taking different clothes than he'd worn to the bar.

"Ready?" he asked when she was done.

She nodded, remaining silent.

"All right, then. We'll go out the back way. Stick to the alleys. We'll be running. Maria said there are exotic ranches south of the city – I found two in the phone book that should be just fine for us. Then we'll cross the river into Benito Juarez. The river is low right now, so we shouldn't have any problem jumping over it. I'm hoping it's still lined with brush on both sides, but we'll have to play that part by ear, I guess," Jasper rambled on as they left the hotel room, which Bella found very strange and out of character for him.

"I don't understand why we can't just drive," Bella whined. Not all of it was for show this time.

"Because," Jasper said patiently, "_you_ don't have a passport."

Bella looked at him, puzzled. It was a blatantly untrue statement, but she knew better than to say something. Jasper had a reason for everything he did.

Usually.

They entered the elevator and he hit the button for the ground level.

Bella grabbed his face and turned it till he was looking at her. "Can I talk now?" She mouthed the words, exaggerating them.

He shook his head.

She huffed in annoyance but kept her mouth shut. They exited the elevator and crossed the atrium again, heading down the service corridors until they exited into the back parking lot. They quickly crossed the lot and headed down a back alley, keeping to a human pace for the moment. Jasper could sense only one vampire remaining in their immediate area, and he – or she – had exited the hotel only a few minutes after them. Whoever it was, they were clearly following them but at a distance - too far to hear anything they might say but still obviously tracking them, keeping an eye on them.

Jasper mentally shrugged it off. He'd expected to be followed, and it reassured him when things turned out as he expected. He broke into a slow trot.

"We can talk now," he told Bella, not bothering to look at her. He didn't have to see her to know she was pissed off now.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's talk. What the _hell_ was that all about?"

"Maria bugged me."

"Yeah, she bugged me, too, but that doesn't mean you have to be an asshole! Just because we're hanging out with your old friends for a couple days, it doesn't mean you get to turn into an asshole around me! Let me just say-"

"Bella!" he cut her off. "I mean that she _bugged_ me. She put a _listening_ device of some sort in my pocket. There were probably some in the hotel room, too, _and_ in the elevator."

"Oh." Realization dawned on Bella. "_Oh_! That's why you changed clothes! That's really advanced shit, isn't it...?"

"It is," Jasper agreed. "Especially for Maria. It's very out of character for her. A lot of what she's doing is..._out of character_...for her."

"Huh. What do you think is up with that?"

"I don't know. It's not like she can't adapt, but still...using human technology? Meeting us in a public setting, a human establishment? The whole situation is odd…_different_, and not like the Maria I know…or _knew_." Jasper shook his head.

"Well, vampires can change too," Bella said, trying to keep the conversation light. He didn't need her worry on top of his own – and she was keeping her shield down, so he was subjected to her emotions. "We're proof of that."

"Oh, I'm not saying that change is impossible. Even vampires can adapt. It's just that most of us don't feel the _need_ to adapt or change with the human society around us. Maria's always been in that camp, but that seems to have changed. And I'm interested in finding out _why_."

"Are you worried about it?" Bella asked. "Could you pick up anything from her?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, there was no threat coming from her at all - or from the others - just curiosity and then boredom. She doesn't want me here to threaten me or hurt me. She's being honest about that, it seems. She apparently really _does_ want to talk – to show me something." He shook his head again, puzzled. "I don't know why she feels the need to do this, though. I just don't know..."

They ran in silence for a few more minutes, going at full vampire speed now and leaving the city behind them quickly. The black night of the Rio Grande Valley, combined with their speed, hid them from human sight. The vampire following them remained far behind, following them by scent alone, Jasper assumed. The man – in his mind, Jasper had assigned their follower a male gender – seemed to be interested in following them only, not listening in on them or interacting in any way, which suited Jasper just fine.

They finally crossed into what had to be the ranches Maria had spoken of. The scent of various game animals – none of them common in this part of Texas for a century or more – caught the attention of Jasper, followed quickly by Bella, who slowed to a walk.

"Bear?" she whispered, surprised.

Jasper shrugged. "They import them…or breed them here, all for sport hunting. But for us, tonight, it's dinner. What would you like? Bear? White-tailed? Elk? Buffalo?"

"Umm...the deer, I guess. I'm still pretty full from feeding in Butte."

"Yeah, me too. But I don't know how long we're going to be. I'm assuming we'll come back tomorrow night – she didn't indicate the need to bring luggage, not that we'll need it, so I thought it would be best to feed again while we could. Best to be at our strongest."

"Well, we can always leave whenever we want, right?" Bella asked.

"Well, yeah, but we have to be diplomatic, Bella."

"Yeah, whatever," Bella muttered. Diplomatic was the last thing she felt like being.

"Do you want to hunt? Or do you want to wait and I'll bring it to you?" Jasper asked, hopeful she'd go with the latter choice. He was feeling insecure after seeing Maria and he thought she might be, too. Hunting for her - and sharing a kill with her - would make them _both_ feel better, if she'd allow it...

Bella looked around uncertainly. "How close is our..._follower_?" she whispered.

"Not close at all," Jasper said. "I felt him slow down when we crossed onto the ranch's land. He must know we're hunting – he's probably waiting for us to leave. You can wait here. It'll be safe." He felt sort of ridiculous saying it to her – he had no doubt she could hold her own, even against one of Maria's minions - but still, her safety would always be his first concern now.

"I...why don't you get us something? I'll just wait in a tree." She looked around them doubtfully. The trees looked more like large bushes to her. "Well, I guess I'll just wait on this rock," she amended, pointing to a nearby boulder.

"I'll just be a moment," Jasper promised, elated that she was allowing him this. "Watch out for rattlesnakes," he said over his shoulder as he ran off into the darkness, laughing when she jumped back off the rock she'd just settled onto.

"Asshole," she whispered after him, causing him to laugh harder. "Next time I'll get my own damn deer!"

Jasper returned within five minutes, a small doe that was still twitching slung over his shoulders.

"See any snakes?" he asked cheerfully.

Bella merely growled at him and grabbed for the deer. He jumped back quickly, putting it out of her reach.

"Ah-ah-ah!" he admonished. "What's the magic word?"

"Stop being a jackass and let me have the deer," she growled at him. "_You're_ the one who wanted to share. Why are you being so stupid?"

"I'm trying to stay in character for our visit," he said, still smirking. But he swung the deer around and snapped its neck before laying it at her feet and crouching down on the other side of it, preparing to feed from its femoral artery so she could have the better carotid artery in its neck.

"Maria's Jasper was a jackass?" Bella asked, eyebrow raised.

Jasper paused a moment, considering her question. "Among other things," he finally said softly. "None of which I ever want you to see, Bella. For now, though, you'll have to tolerate me being a hard-ass…_and_ a jackass."

"Among other things," she repeated softly, dropping to her knees and reaching for the deer. She looked at Jasper as she bit into the neck, her eyes softening. She sent a wave of love at him, letting him know it was all right.

His smirk changed into a softer smile and he returned the love, along with a hefty dose of appreciation for her understanding, before dipping his head to feed.

It didn't take long for them to drain the little deer – it had been little more than a yearling. As soon as it was drained, they made their way back westward toward the Rio Grande and the border.

When they reached the river, Jasper was relieved to see that the banks on both sides were lined with willows and other trees and brush.

"We'll have to be quick," Jasper told her in an almost silent whisper. "They watch this section of the river pretty heavily."

"Tell me again why we're invading on foot instead of driving?" Bella asked.

"It's not a friendly border, for starters. We'd have to cross at night, which would draw even more attention. We'd make them nervous just by being what we are. Anything out of place – even shit we wouldn't _think_ is out of place – would have them crawling all over us with a fine-toothed comb - drug dogs, pat-downs, body cavity searches, probes..."

"All right, all right!" Bella said, laughing at the last item. "I get it, I get it! Wading the Rio Grande, it is!"

"_Jumping_," Jasper corrected. "We need to get over there at vampire speed." He peered through the brush at the water. "There's a sandbar in the middle. It shouldn't be a problem for either of us." He looked back at the way they'd come. "It's clear enough here. Get a good running start, hit the sandbar, and then the other bank. Don't land in the water – even _we_ can't avoid making a splash when we hit the water. You go first. I'll be right after you."

Bella nodded, quickly backed up the bank, ran at the water, and leaped. A second later, Jasper saw her disappear into the trees on the Mexican side of the river. Any humans watching would have seen nothing. He took one last look around, sensing nothing more than their follower, who was still maintaining a healthy distance from them, and a moment later he was at Bella's side.

"That was sort of a non-event," Bella said.

"What makes you say that?" Jasper asked, puzzled. "We crossed several borders in Europe and Asia – nothing happened at any of them. Why would you expect anything different here?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's just so..._hyped up_. I don't know what I thought would happen - spotlights, sirens…I don't know."

Jasper laughed. "Well, we aren't human, you know, so I'm sure it would be much more exciting for _them_ to try this." He looked around and carefully took in the scents that the soft breeze was bringing them. "We appear to be near a residential area and everybody is asleep. Let's run further into town before we change. I'm sure Maria will have some sort of welcoming party out for us sooner rather than later."

They ran through the dark deserted streets, gradually leaving the residential neighborhood and entering a business district. Jasper pulled Bella into a dark alley and indicated it was time for them to change. "I can sense two vampires nearby, probably within a mile of us," he whispered in her ear as they quickly changed. "Neither one is the one trailing us from Texas. I think he stayed back there. These two are moving in slowly and I'm not feeling a threat from either of them."

"What do we do now?" Bella asked, wiggling into her tight skirt.

"We wait for them now. We're their guests, remember?"

"Guests." Bella snorted. "Right."

"Until we find out otherwise, we're guests. Just...stay alert. Be prepared."

"For what?"

"For anything. Hell, I can't even make an educated guess right now. For all I know, Maria wants to show us a wrecked UFO that she found in the desert."

They stepped out of the alleyway, prepared to head down the sidewalk. Jasper figured their best bet was to just walk casually around until Maria's minions showed up. He didn't have long to wait. No sooner had they started down the sidewalk than a dark SUV turned onto the street they were on. It pulled up alongside them and stopped when they did. The front passenger door opened and a human man in military garb got out.

"Jasper Whitlock?" he asked sharply, no sign of a Hispanic accent.

"That's me," Jasper said.

"I have orders to bring you to Maria."

"So I've heard," Jasper said pleasantly, not moving.

The man opened the rear door of the vehicle. "If you would get in, please?"

Jasper took two steps to the vehicle, stuck his head in, and quickly inspected the interior. The driver, also human, was dressed similarly to the man who'd gotten out of the vehicle. He did not even turn to look at Jasper. The rest of the vehicle was empty.

Both humans were emitting very little on the emotion front - a bit of curiosity but not nearly what he would expect in the current situation. There was aggravation – presumably at the hour of the day. Nobody wanted to be out at 4 am - and a healthy bit of fear but not nearly as much as Jasper would have expected. And he wasn't even sure it was directed at his and Bella's presence.

He backed up and indicated with his hand for Bella to get into the vehicle first. The man's hand shot out to stop her. Jasper growled when the human's hand made contact with her, grabbing her arm.

"Not her!" the man said sharply. "I was told _you_ and you alone."

Bella's nostrils flared and her eyes blackened. Jasper knew he had little time to fix this before the offending hand was removed from its owner's arm.

His own hand shot out to yank the man's hand off of his mate's arm. "She goes where I go," Jasper snarled, the growl still apparent in his voice. "Non-negotiable. If you don't like it, we'll just be on our way now and you can explain to Maria what happened."

Fear spiked in both men.

So, Jasper thought, it was _Maria_ they feared, not the vampires right in front of them. What was the reasoning behind that? Did they know what she was? If so, would they not also have some inkling of what they'd been sent to pick up?

He shook his head briefly. People – _humans_ – could be so blind.

"She goes," Jasper said aloud, "or we leave."

The man hesitated and glanced into the car. The driver gave a minute nod of his head. "All right. She can come."

"Mighty nice of you," Jasper said, the pleasantness back in his voice. "Bella? After you, sweetheart."

After one last glare at the man, Bella climbed carefully into the car. Jasper shook his head, rolling his eyes, and then climbed in behind her.

They rode in silence through the dark streets. Jasper noticed that the streetlights weren't working and several of the shops and buildings appeared to be boarded up. Trash blew around in the street. The whole place had the feel of desertion. The atmosphere in the car became tenser the further they drove. Evidently personal hygiene was not high on their priority list - the various odors coming from the front seat of the vehicle were about to kill him. On the bright side, though, he thought the stench almost masked the odor of their most tempting blood.

He hadn't had this kind of urge to kill a human in such a long time, and he had a feeling it had very little to do with any sort of bloodlust, even without Bella's shield protecting him. He was pretty sure it had a lot more to do with the fact that one of them had had the nerve to actually touch his mate. Although why this should surprise him, he didn't know. It _had_ been _his_ idea that she dress like a whore in order to disguise her actual place in his life, so the fact that they'd felt free to touch her...

He shook his head. The man still shouldn't have touched her – she was a vampire, for goodness' sake!

Bella looked over at him, concerned with the worry he was no doubt projecting. "And you think _I_ have a problem!" she said, her voice lower than human ears could pick up. "I think _you_'re the one having issues now. I haven't broken anything!"

"Yet…" Jasper said with a small grin, looking at the door handle she was currently fiddling with. She quickly let go of it and returned her hand to her lap. She pulled her other hand out of Jasper's grasp and proceeded to twiddle her thumbs. "Try not to kill the driver or his friend."

"Better listen to your own advice," she replied.

"Oh, I'm trying. Believe me."

Twenty minutes of silence later – at least from the humans – the SUV pulled up to a large iron gate set in a cement wall. The driver rolled his window down as an armed man came out of a door set in the wall and approached the vehicle. He didn't speak but carefully looked over all the vehicle's occupants, pausing for a moment on Bella, before standing back and nodding at them. The gate slowly opened, apparently operated from somewhere else within the compound. Jasper could sense three other humans in what was apparently a gatehouse. The vampires that had been near them in the city had followed them here, keeping pace with the SUV as it had traveled through the city. They'd already entered the compound ahead of them, bypassing the gate and climbing directly over the wall instead. Jasper doubted any of the humans had been aware of it happening.

They drove slowly into the compound, for a compound it was. The wall was tall, almost fifteen feet high and almost five feet deep. Jasper wondered what the hell these humans expected to get hit with that they'd built a fucking fort around their house. The house itself was huge – more of a mansion or an estate. There were several outbuildings surrounding it - what appeared to be garages and maybe storage buildings. The SUV pulled up to the front door of the mansion and once again the man on the passenger side got out and opened the door.

He didn't say anything as Jasper slid out, pulling Bella after him. Jasper just as studiously ignored him, and the man got back in the vehicle before it slowly pulled away from the house, leaving them standing at the bottom of a low, wide set of steps that led up to another wrought iron gate. Through it they could see a courtyard of some sort, the sound of water in a fountain coming from its direction.

Jasper was debating what to do next when the gate opened slowly and a vampire emerged and walked slowly down the steps.

He didn't recognize the vampire, but clearly the vampire recognized him.

"Major Whitlock?" he asked. "Welcome to El Coyote. Maria is waiting inside."

Jasper turned to look at Bella, who was hanging back. He could feel that she was fighting the urge to step directly behind him, allowing him to protect her, just as he was fighting the urge to pull her there. Any move like that would send red flags up to any vampire watching them.

"Ready?" he asked silently, barely moving his lips.

She took an unnecessary breath and stepped up beside him. It was all the affirmation he needed. He turned back to the waiting vampire and snapped, "Well, let's not keep her waiting, shall we?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They followed the vampire up the steps, through the wrought iron gate, and entered the courtyard. A fountain sat in the middle, which was surrounded by various tropical plants, a couple of wrought iron benches, and a small table flanked by two chairs. Dim lights hung from open air beams overhead, giving the whole thing an air Jasper would have called romantic under other circumstances.

Not so much right now though.

The path through the courtyard's vegetation led to large oak double doors, which were banded by black iron. One of the doors swung open before they even reached them, and a small human woman stepped back, holding the door open for them to enter. The strange vampire hissed at her as they passed and the woman flinched backwards in fear.

Jasper felt Bella stiffen beside him in shock, but he didn't openly acknowledge it. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, even if it had not been in a very, very long time.

The entryway was actually a wide, open hall that led off to the right and to the left. Jasper could see now that it must encircle the courtyard, large French doors spaced at intervals that could be opened to allow any breezes available to pass into the house. Their guide turned left and they followed. They passed three closed and silent doors before pausing at a third and knocking quietly.

"Bring them in, Alvarado," Maria's voice rang musically from behind the door.

Still silent, Alvarado opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Instead of following them, though, he shut the door behind them, leaving them alone in the room with Maria.

Jasper looked around them, quickly evaluating their situation and figuring out what, exactly, they'd need to do to get out quickly, should it come to that. They were in a library, one that Carlisle and Edward would have truly appreciated. Large floor-to-ceiling bookshelves made of a dark wood lined the walls to the right and to the left. A fireplace - nearly useless in this desert climate - was on the far wall, opposite the door. No windows led to the outside world and no other doors appeared to exit the room. For a human, it would have been a trap, for sure. For two vampires, though, it was merely a small problem. Hell, he thought, for an agitated Bella, it would probably not be a problem at all. She could probably claw her way out of a cement-walled room in record time, given the right motivation.

A large mahogany desk was to their left. In front of the fireplace were a small couch and two chairs, all of which were arranged around a low table. It was a comfortably appointed room. There was no fire in the fireplace, but the room was lit by large candles set on various pieces of furniture. Jasper wondered briefly if Maria had something against electricity or if she just liked candlelight.

Maria herself was seated behind the desk, her tiny size dwarfed by the large desk and chair. The glow of a laptop monitor reflected off her face, so Jasper assumed she wasn't _totally_ opposed to electricity.

"Jasper! So glad you decided to visit!" she said, standing up and crossing around to the front of the desk. She stepped up and placed kisses on both his cheeks before her glance fell on Bella. "And you brought Isabella. How..._nice_," she almost sneered, her gaze roving up and down Bella's body, taking in her outfit.

Jasper didn't bother saying anything to that, and Bella managed to once again somehow keep her mouth shut and her growls to herself.

"Come, let us sit!" Maria grabbed Jasper's hand, apparently trying to lead him over to the couch. He pulled his hand away and instead led Bella to the couch, yanking her down next to him and forcing Maria to sit in one of the chairs instead. Bella sent a sharp stab of aggravation at Jasper's treatment, and Jasper had a feeling that all the discussions, plans, explanations, and agreements in the world were not going to stop her from keeping track of all the things he was going to have to do to her in the name of duty during this visit - keeping track, cataloging, and devising punishments _she_ felt were appropriate, to be delivered at some future date.

"Can I offer you something?" Maria asked, false sweetness in her voice. "Surely you're thirsty after your little trip over the border…"

"That's not necessary, Maria," Jasper said through gritted teeth. "We hunted before coming here. You know that."

"Oh, but what kind of hostess would I be to not offer? And really, can you call what you did..._hunting_? You can't expect me to believe you're actually _full_ after eating that..._animal_." She shivered in disgust. Reaching next to her, she grabbed a small hand bell off the table and rang it. "Let's just see if we have anything that might appeal to you," she said, a malicious gleam coming into her red eyes. She was looking pointedly at Bella now. "Especially for your young _friend_ here. She's still young, Jasper. You had best treat her right or she'll leave you. You used to know how to treat a lady right. It saddens me to see how far you've fallen - dragging such a pretty little thing through the desert, making her eat animals…"

"That isn't necessary," Jasper repeated. "I'm here to find out what it is you want to show me, Maria, not trade pleasantries or dine."

"But, mi querido, this _is_ part of what I want to show you!" she said.

A knock on the door interrupted them. "Come in!" Maria called.

The door swung open to reveal Alvarado. However, he was not alone. Jasper and Bella both stiffened at the sound of several human heartbeats. The heartbeats were racing, clearly frightened, and the stench of fear drifted into the room ahead of them. Alvarado held the end of a chain in his hands and gave it a vicious jerk as he entered the room. Behind him stumbled a line of humans, all chained together at their necks by the same chain Alvarado held in his hand. Their hands were cuffed together and connected to the collars circling their necks. Their legs were left free, presumably to allow easier movement, although all of them were doing little more than a reluctant shuffle right now.

There were four of them - two boys and two girls. All four looked to be in their late teens or early twenties. They were clean, healthy-looking specimens, Jasper noted, aside from the fear radiating off of them. They were dressed alike in white robe-like garments. Alvarado pulled his line of humans until they were lined up in front of the three seated vampires.

"Really, Maria? Isn't this a little dramatic, even for you?" Jasper said, barely sparing the shaking humans a glance.

Maria shrugged. "Oh, I know – the robes, I think, are a little much. I'd have to agree with you there. But Heriberto likes that touch." She shrugged again. "And it's such a little thing to make him so happy."

"Heriberto?" Jasper asked, sidetracked for a minute.

"You'll meet him later. He's sleeping right now. Not everybody is a night owl like us, Jasper." Maria stood up and approached the line of humans before circling them slowly, every inch the predator. The humans trembled even more, but none of them made any noise. Each of them had briefly looked at Jasper and Bella when they'd first entered the room, but all of them now had their eyes firmly fixed on the floor.

"Look at them, Jasper! Isn't it wonderful? No longer are we feeding from the near-dead in back alleys. No longer do we even have to stalk them or wait till they stumble across us. So many… Like rats, I tell you! So many, so many..." She stopped behind one of the boys and inhaled his scent deeply before standing on her toes to lick his neck. He shuddered in response, but still no sound came out. "Nothing but the best for us now, Jasper. Healthy. Clean. _Delicious_..." She almost hissed the last word, taking another lick before moving on.

"And quiet too," Jasper observed coldly. "That's got to be a nice plus."

"Oh, they don't come that way naturally," Maria said dismissively, coming around to the front of the group again. "We have to make _some_ adjustments in order to have any peace and quiet around here." She grabbed the jaw of the girl at the end of the line and turned her to face Jasper.

Her mouth, once forced open, revealed a barely healed stump of a tongue. Jasper thought he heard Bella whimper. She definitely scooted closer to Jasper on the couch, but Maria and Alvarado gave no indication that they heard anything. Maria released the girl's face and pushed her away again.

"Now, can you honestly tell me none of these appeal to you, Jasper? I've brought you a variety to choose from, just like you used to enjoy."

"_Used_ _to_, Maria. Not anymore," Jasper said firmly, not even looking at the humans now. "You can remove them now."

"But what about your friend, Jasper? Maybe she'd like to have a little something?" Maria was watching Bella now, looking for any signs of darkening in Bella's golden eyes. Jasper himself was curious for Bella's reaction. The smell of blood from half-healed severed tongues was in the air. He could feel his own bloodlust rising just a little bit. Bella, though, appeared totally disinterested. A look at her eyes for himself confirmed it – they were as light golden as they had been before the humans were brought in.

_Good girl_, he thought silently to himself, sending her a hint of approval. The burn in the throat, the change in eye color…well, that was something no thirsty vampire could control, no matter how much they chose to ignore it.

No vampire except Carlisle, Jasper mentally corrected himself. Even Rosalie, who'd never tasted human blood, admitted she felt the burn, and he'd seen her eyes darken on numerous occasions through the years when they'd been exposed to blood. But never Carlisle. And, perhaps now, Bella. Of course, they had both recently fed, but it wasn't preventing _his_ throat from burning.

"They're not Mexican," Bella blurted out, her voice and mannerism so fully in bimbo mode that even Jasper looked at her again.

Maria's eyes brightened and she crossed over to grab Bella's hand, pulling her to her feet. Jasper fought the urge to rip her away from Maria. "No, they're not. Would you prefer a local? Jasper always preferred a wide selection. What a bad hostess I am! I didn't even think about what you might prefer. Jasper found you in Europe, he said. Russia?"

Jasper had _not_ been specific, and Bella did not enlighten Maria any more on the subject, choosing instead to shrug.

"But by your accent, americana of course," Maria murmured, looking at Bella more closely. She tugged on Bella's hand, and being sure what to do, Bella followed her back to the line of chained humans. "You might like something more..._exotic_...while you are with us. I can provide it, of course. Variety, my dear Isabella, is part of what we are all about here! But don't despair, these are not all gringos. No, indeed..."

"How can you tell if they can't talk anymore?" Bella asked.

Maria laughed. "But, child, of course they spoke when they _first_ came here. Some of them spoke quite a bit! Hence the need to silence them, you understand. So much talking, so much useless noise…" Maria sighed. "But come, _smell_..." She leaned in towards the girl whose tongueless mouth she'd shown them minutes earlier and glared at Bella, clearly meaning for her to do the same.

Bella leaned cautiously forward and inhaled. "What am I looking for?" she asked, confused. All she could smell was fear and sweat, blood and singed skin. She was thankful that the girl had her eyes firmly planted on the floor because she didn't know what she would do if she made eye contact with her - probably ruin the whole visit, destroying Maria in the process.

She was pretty sure, though, that that would be the _right_ thing to do. Jasper wouldn't approve, though. She was pretty sure of that, too.

Maria sighed. "You _are_ young, aren't you, chiquita? You've probably been eating disgusting wildlife most of the time, too, yes? Well, my dear little Isabella, if your keeper would _let_ you, you'd discover that humans have scents that are unique to where they have spent most of their time. And at times it can affect their taste!"

Bella was interested in spite of herself. She'd wondered the same thing back in Greenland but had never gotten around to asking Jasper about it. Well, here was her answer.

All things considered, she could have continued on in ignorance.

"Now, this one here..." Maria pulled the girl's long dark hair up to her nose and inhaled deeply again. "Irish, I believe. Possibly Welsh, but I'm going to go with Irish. What she was doing smoking in an alley in San Antonio, I have no idea, but I'm sure she's regretting that decision now." Maria moved along to the next human - a male – and looked him up and down, not bothering to smell him. "This one...American. On vacation in Mexico. Tsk. The Hamptons would have been a better choice, I'm thinking. A blue blood, Isabella, from Boston. The blood tastes weak, I'll just warn you - weak but with a sweet aftertaste…particularly suitable for hot summer nights, such as we have here. But now, in the fall, not nearly so nice. Perhaps I'll save him for later..."

She moved on to the next one, another girl. "We keep them in male-female order," she explained, looking back at Bella. "It seems to keep them calmer in the holding rooms. I like the taste of fear as much as the next person, but for long-term keeping, it's important to take such things into consideration.

"Long-term?" Jasper asked, speaking up finally. "You were never one for long-term storage before. Why the change?"

"Oh, Jasper, you'll find that so many things have changed! It was Heriberto's idea, actually. He has so _many_ ideas for how to do things in this brave new world we live in now. I can't just go running around the desert, fighting over dirty villages. Things have changed, Jasper, and I've needed to change _with_ them."

"And long-term storage is part of your 'new life', Maria?" Jasper continued to sound bored, as if her answer really didn't matter to him.

"Jasper! Mi querido!" Maria glared at her ex-lover now, almost pouting. "Quit interrupting me. I'm instructing Isabella here on things she is clearly _not_ learning from you. I'll answer your questions in a moment. Now," Maria said, turning back to Bella, "this one is blond – a _real_ blond. Don't be fooled by dyes, Isabella. It really _can_ make a difference. She was born and raised somewhere in the far north – Sweden, Norway, one of those places - but she's lived several years in the northeastern United States." She looked at the male she'd just previously talked about. "Actually, I think they were brought in together. A mated pair, perhaps?" She tapped her finger thoughtfully to her lip, the first human-like habit Bella had really seen from her. "If you can imagine such a thing…" Maria said. "At least they can die as they lived – _together_. Nobody can accuse me of being _totally_ heartless!" She laughed delightedly, clearly pleased with her observation. Neither human reacted to her words, and Bella cringed inwardly thinking about what these people had been through already to bring them to this state.

"And, lastly, we have this one. Asian. Born and raised in," she took another deep breath, "China, I'd say, if I had to guess, but apparently immigrated recently to Mexico. Another bad decision." She shook her head, then turned to Bella and asked brightly, "So, which one would you like to try?"

Bella took a step back towards Jasper. "None of them," she said, sounding shaky through her bimbo voice, even to her own ears, and hoping it would be taken as fear instead of the anger it was. "Jasper-" she felt Jasper stiffen a little behind her on the couch, "Jasper wouldn't like it if I did that." She tried to put some fear in her voice.

"Pfft. Jasper! Chiquita, you must learn to stand up to our Jasper! Don't let him walk all over you. What is he going to do if you eat a human, hmmm? Leave you behind here? Oh, wait, he might just do that! Is that what you're afraid of? Don't be, Chiquita! Our Jasper has always been a gentleman…of sorts. He might take you back and leave you with his precious Cullens, but he'd never leave you here with me." Maria laughed. "So...which will it be?"

"None of them," Bella said firmly, moving back another step.

Maria's eyes narrowed, the red in them deepening to a burgundy. "Then I will choose _for_ you," she said, producing a key from someplace and stepping up to the first girl. She quickly unlocked the collar from around her neck and allowed it to fall to the ground as she yanked the girl forward. "_This_ one."

"She's not interested," Jasper said, standing up and moving in front of Bella. "Now stop your games, Maria, and let us talk business so I can leave."

Maria pulled the girl to her tightly, yanking her head back by her long dark hair and exposing her neck. For the first time, the girl made a sound - a whimper that sounded like a cross between fear and acceptance. She knew, just as they all did, what was about to happen. Jasper felt relief more than anything else pour from the human.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I prefer to discuss business on a full stomach," Maria hissed before sinking her teeth into the motionless girl's neck.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N** HAH! I bet you all thought I'd forgotten! Not True, not true at all. I just got a little side tracked by Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps rouler, oh readers of mine!

Chapter 8

Jasper and Bella both stood perfectly still and watched as Maria drained the dark haired girl right in front of them. She hadn't bothered to break the girl's neck, choosing instead to hold the human to her while she fed, keeping the thrashing and struggling to a minimum by holding the girl firmly in her arms.

In fact, the whole room was still. The other humans stood paralyzed, probably hoping they wouldn't be next - or conversely, wishing they _would_ be. It was hard for Jasper to tell because the emotions coming from them were a cesspool of despair. Alvarado's eyes didn't even twitch in Maria's direction, instead remaining firmly on the brick of the fireplace. Jasper noted, though, that his nostrils flared and his eyes darkened when the scent of the fresh blood reached him - much as his own were doing, no doubt.

There was no denying it – the blood was tempting, sweet smelling and hot. Maria allowed some of it to dribble down her chin, meant perhaps to tempt him further, as she had so often done when they'd been together. There was no true temptation now, though. If anything, it made it even easier for him to resist the blood itself.

Jasper's stillness was a refusal to rise to Maria's bait. Bella's, on the other hand…well, he could tell she was doing everything she could to not lose control. And, like him, her reaction had nothing to do with the blood. He could feel her emotions cycle through – shock, disbelief, and disgust. There were no signs of thirst, hunger, or bloodlust. Part of him wondered idly if, aside from the hiker she'd drained back in her cave, she'd ever actually witnessed a vampire feeding from a human. He thought it was possible that she hadn't. And her memories of what had occurred on Kamchatka were hazy at best – he knew she remembered doing it, just not the actual details of the event.

He sent her a wave of calm, hoping it would help. He really did want to know what, exactly, Maria had up her sleeve. All this bullshit so far was just for show. He didn't need Bella ripping the bitch apart before they found out what they'd come for. And Maria never worked alone. Something was definitely going on here.

To his relief, Bella relaxed next to him. Good. One less worry, at least for the moment.

Maria quickly drained the girl and dropped her corpse. "Get them out of here," she snapped at Alvarado, not bothering to look at him. He nodded once and leaned over to pick up the corpse of the girl before dragging the rest of them back out of the room.

"You're no fun anymore, mi querido," she pouted, flinging herself back into her chair.

Jasper sat back down on the couch, pulling Bella down next to him once more. "I'm not here to have fun, Maria." He sighed, feeling tired. He leaned forward toward her, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. "Just...what do you want to tell me? And show me? And it better be good - if you just invited me here to show me your new and improved dining facilities, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm gonna be more than a little bit pissed off. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less what - or _who_ - you're eating nowadays."

"Fine," she huffed again. "I wasn't going to bother you – or any of the Cullens for that matter – but Heriberto thought it would be best to get the word out there. And he thought it would be best to start with you since we had such a ... _close_... relationship in the past." Her voice seemed to caress the words, and she glanced at Bella to see if she had caused any reaction in her. Clearly, she couldn't let go of her games, even now.

Bella held herself as still as ever, though, refusing to react.

"Heriberto?" Jasper said. "Who the hell is Heriberto, and what the hell did you mean earlier when you said he was sleeping? You haven't taken up with a _human_, have you?"

Maria merely smirked. "It's a temporary condition, Jasper - one that can be quickly rectified anytime I choose to do so. Surely you remember _that_ much."

Jasper snorted. "Oh, I remember. I also remember that you always thought they were no better than cattle. And now you're fucking one of them?"

"Don't judge, mi querido. Even humans have their uses, especially these days. And, like I said, it is merely a _temporary_ condition. He is much more valuable to me right now as a mortal, though, so I'm afraid his date with immortality is going to have to wait a bit longer." She smiled, showing enough of her teeth to make any human nervous. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "He should be waking up any time now. I'll just run and see if he's ready to meet with you."

She was out the door in a flash, leaving Jasper and Bella sitting in shocked silence on the couch.

"What the hell?" Bella asked before Jasper could shush her with a finger to her lips. _Again_. He pulled her into his lap and placed his mouth at her ear.

"Moan," he breathed softly, the word barely audible to even _her_ vampire hearing.

"What?"

"Moan," he whispered again, sending her a wave of lust for good measure.

She moaned.

"We only have a few moments before she comes be back," he whispered quickly at vampire speed. "I can feel her – and this Heriberto fellow. He's definitely awake."

Bella licked his neck, causing him to growl.

"He's human?" Bella whispered back, her words masked by Jasper's low growl.

"Definitely," he groaned. They continued their brief conversation, awkwardly attempting to fit it all around the sounds of foreplay. All thoughts of what had just happened not five feet from where they now sat tangled on the couch were, while not forgotten, certainly pushed aside for the moment.

"What is she up to?"

"No idea." Jasper's hands slid down her side and then up and under the front of her shirt to grasp her breasts. She was pretty sure this was entering the territory of unscripted action. She arched against him and moaned louder as his thumbs brushed over her nipples.

"We need to stay as long as possible to find out what is going on."

"The sun!" she gasped, pushing against him harder as his thumbs continued to make passes across her nipples and his breath continued to tease her around her ear.

"We're trapped here until sundown," he confirmed. "We need to make the most of our time. And we might not be able to speak again. I still don't sense any overt threat from her, Bella. Please remember that. They might...ungh," he grunted as she shifted against him, rubbing him through his pants in the most delightful way. "They might try to separate us...try to learn more from you. Are you comfortable with that happening? Tell me now – if you aren't, I'll make sure you stay with me." He leaned over and attempted to push her top up over her breasts in order to have better access.

"No, no…that's good." She gasped loudly as he sucked one nipple in. "That's _so_ good!" she said, louder this time. "Uh...uh...no, that's a good idea," she whispered again, trying to get close to his ear again - not an easy task given their current position.

"We could learn a lot more that way," Jasper breathed against her other breast. "They think you're a whore - my _puta_ - for sure now. They'll think you're a weak link, but not in the way you really are. God, you taste good..." He pushed her back on the couch and started licking his way down her stomach.

"Yes!" Bella gasped again. "Yes...that's good...do that...that's fine...a good idea...perfect...ungh!"

"Madre de dios, Jasper!" Maria's voice, sounding harsh and not at all musical anymore, came screeching from the doorway. "I'll ask you to quit fucking your whore on my furniture, thank you very much!"

Jasper sat upright, pulling Bella's shirt down and helping her back up all in one quick movement. "She's not my whore, Maria," he said coldly. "And I'll thank you to refrain from referring to her as such."

Maria snorted. "Of course she's not. She's your sister and I'm your spinster aunt! Have some manners, Jasper! That couch is imported." She shook her head a little and then gestured at the man standing next to her in the doorway. "Jasper, I'd like to introduce you to Heriberto Hidalgo."

Bella couldn't help it. "Isn't Hidalgo a horse's name?" she blurted out. Luckily, only the two other vampires in the room could hear her, as she had at least had the presence of mind to keep it at a level meant for vampire ears only. "Herbert the Horse? Is that his _real_ name?"

"Shut up!" Jasper hissed, his lip twitching in amusement. He stood up, pulling Bella to her feet to stand next to him. Maria was not nearly as amused. She glared at Bella but continued as if there had been no interruption – which, as far as her human companion was concerned, there hadn't been.

"Heriberto, mi querido…"

"Hypocrite," Bella said, covering it up with a small cough. Maria glared at her again.

"I'd like you to meet an old..._associate_...of mine - Jasper Whitlock," she continued seamlessly.

Jasper waited where he stood, refusing to be the first to move, manners be damned. Evidently this Heriberto fellow felt the same way because he just stood there, too, silently staring at the two visitors to his house. There was a flat, almost dead look in his eyes.

Jasper recognized the look. He'd seen it staring back at him many times during his time with Maria on those occasions when he'd had an opportunity to actually look in a mirror. Maria had a way with men, it seemed. He was almost glad he wasn't the only one she affected that way. At the same time, he felt almost sorry for the poor fucker standing next to her now.

_Almost_ being the operative word here.

Maria looked back and forth between the two men, realizing that nobody was going to be making nice this morning. "Fine," she said, huffing. "Heriberto, my love, you wanted to meet with a Cullen, so I've brought you a Cullen." She crossed her arms with another huff and turned her back on them all.

Jasper looked at Maria in astonishment. "_He_ requested this meeting?" he asked, shocked. Stepping forward, he grabbed her arm to spin her around. "You brought me here to talk to a human? Are you out of your _mind_?" All of this was said at vampire speed, Jasper not caring what the human male thought of it at all. "What the hell are you playing at, Maria?"

Heriberto evidently took exception to Jasper manhandling his woman, for his own hand shot out to grab Jasper's arm. Jasper looked at the human's hand in surprise and then up at the man himself. He bared his teeth and growled. It was no warning rumble but a full out growl. Wisely, Heriberto withdrew his hand.

"I am playing at nothing!" Maria hissed back, ignoring the interplay between her lovers, past and present. "I told you, Jasper, times _change_. This is one of those changes. I've found myself growing to _like_ comforts, Jasper." She gestured around the room. "I _like_ nice things now - clean clothes, a clean place to live. We could never have this before, not back then. But I can have it _now_. And I want to _keep_ it. And Heriberto here is willing to _give_ it to me, Jasper."

"At what _price_, Maria? Huh? What does he get in return? I can't believe this! Does he even _know_ what he has brought to his bed? He _must_ know! You make no secret of it, evidently - feeding right here in this room, waited on hand and foot by our kind. What the hell do you think is going to happen, Maria? Have you lost your mind?"

"_Nothing_ is going to happen, Jasper! Don't you understand? _Nothing_! There is nobody _left_ to do anything about it!" She sounded smug now, knowing she was right. "Now, are you going to stop this and find out what you came all this way to find out?"

Jasper stepped back, dropping her arm. He didn't know what to say to that. There was nothing he _could_ say. She was right. What had happened in Romania had opened an entirely new can of worms. Maria - and what was going on here in Nuevo Laredo - was probably only the first of _many_ worms.

As quickly as he'd been to anger, he backed down almost as quickly. Here he'd been lecturing Bella on maintaining control of _her_ temper, repeating over and over ad nauseum the need for information, and here _he_ was going ballistic at the first sign of anything of interest.

"Yes," he ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Good," she said, still sounding smug. "Now. Be a good boy and greet my new friend properly. Then we can get started."

"Fine," he said, still snarling, before turning back towards the human.

Bella had watched their interplay with interest at first until she realized that nobody was keeping an eye on the human in the room. Jasper seemed awfully wrapped up in his interaction with Maria and didn't seem to be paying the man any attention at all. Heriberto, for his part, had briefly watched the two hissing vampires, but when it became quickly apparent that he couldn't understand anything they were saying, he switched his attention to Bella.

He stared at Bella, clearly appraising her - his eyes wandered up and down her body, lingering on the parts that seemed to particularly interest him. It made her uncomfortable in a way she wouldn't have thought possible by a human, and a small warning growl broke out before she could stop it. She glanced at Jasper and Maria, still hissing at each other by the fireplace, waiting for Jasper to become aware of what was happening. But he didn't.

Then she realized this was part of what he'd been speaking about earlier. They needed to..._divide_, splitting up in order to find out _more_. He'd put her in a position to be dismissed by Maria, and she had been. So...here she was, ignored by both her mate and his old lover.

Part of her - the vampire controlled by nothing more than instinct - screamed at her to leap over the couch and destroy the other female in the room, who was clearly invading her territory. She wanted to destroy, tear apart, and burn, and follow it up quickly with draining the human in the room.

But that part wasn't in charge right now. The part that _was_ in charge gave a reluctant sigh and, looking at Heriberto, took a step towards him, smiling in what she hoped was a seductive, sultry, dazzling manner. Based on his reaction - the sharp intake of breath and the increase in heart rate - she was doing it right. As she did so, the hissing conversation by the fireplace stilled.

"And just look, Jasper!" Maria's voice cut through the silence. "_Your_ new friend seems to be getting along with him just _fine_!"


	9. Chapter 9

Last week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_Part of her - the vampire controlled by nothing more than instinct - screamed at her to leap over the couch and destroy the other female in the room, who was clearly invading her territory. She wanted to destroy, tear apart, and burn, and follow it up quickly with draining the human in the room. _

_But that part wasn't in charge right now. The part that was in charge gave a reluctant sigh and, looking at Heriberto, took a step towards him, smiling in what she hoped was a seductive, sultry, dazzling manner. Based on his reaction - the sharp intake of breath and the increase in heart rate - she was doing it right. As she did so, the hissing conversation by the fireplace stilled. _

_"And just look, Jasper!" Maria's voice cut through the silence. "Your new friend seems to be getting along with him just fine!"_

Chapter 9

Jasper's eyes darkened perceptibly when he saw how close Bella was standing to Heriberto, and he was definitely glaring. Yep, Bella thought, he was angry. Well, this whole thing was _his_ idea. He could be angry all he wanted. And her shield was still down, as ordered. Let him feel how miffed _she_ was.

Jasper stepped around the couch, grabbed her arm, and dragged her away from Heriberto and back to his side, letting out a low growl. This made Maria giggle. "Relax, Jasper," she said, still speaking so Heriberto couldn't hear her. "You aren't concerned about a _human _stealing your little pet, are you?"

Jasper didn't reply to her, instead he continued to stare hard-eyed at the human male. Well, thought Bella, apparently Jasper _was_ concerned with _exactly_ that.

The situation was getting ridiculous and she let Jasper know it, sending him a good dose of aggravation mixed with a little bit of impatience. They needed to get this show on the road. And he'd thought _she_ would be the one causing problems. Hmph.

He relaxed a bit next to her - whether it was from being in contact with her or from her emotional hints, she didn't know and it didn't matter.

"All right. Herbert, is it?" he asked. "I'm here. I've come a long way. What do you want? Maria here hasn't been too forthcoming. Apparently I need to speak directly with you, you being in charge and all." Nobody, not even the human, could miss the sarcasm in Jasper's voice.

Heriberto chose to ignore it. "Heriberto," he said, his English heavy with a Hispanic accent. "The name is Heriberto." Left unspoken was the message that Jasper would do well to remember this little fact.

"Yes, of course. My mistake. So..." Jasper motioned with his free hand for the man to continue.

"Shall we sit as civilized men, Jasper Whitlock?" He looked at Maria and Bella. "And, perhaps, let the women go prepare breakfast for all of us?"

Bella and Jasper both had to control the surprise they felt from reaching their face - not so much at the man's dismissal of the women but at the chore he was dismissing them for.

Jasper turned to look at Bella, raising an eyebrow in question, before turning to look at Maria. Maria merely smiled smugly at him. He turned back to Heriberto. "Of course. Sounds like a good idea," he answered smoothly.

"Sounds like a _stupid_ idea," he revised in an undertone for both the women's benefit.

"Come, Isabella," Maria said, taking Bella's free hand. "We'll make a _lovely _breakfast for the men."

Jasper reluctantly released her other hand and watched Maria lead his mate out of the room.

"Jasper Whitlock," the human said, "now we can discuss business."

Bella followed Maria out of the room - not that she had much of a choice, considering Maria had a good grasp of her wrist. All things being equal, she felt confident that she could at least get free of Maria even if she didn't feel as confident about an outright fight with her. But with humans around, she didn't know quite _how_ to act, so she followed quietly.

After all, Jasper trusted her to get information. So, information she would get. All she had to do was act like a bimbo, refrain from killing Maria – or at least _try_ to - and simper like a whore around any males.

Oh, God. Would he expect her to let them..._touch_ her? Would they _try_? Did vampires _do_ that? She realized she had no frame of reference for sexual interactions between unmated vampires. Obviously they occurred – Jasper had been with Maria for over a century. Maria clearly thought she and Jasper were just..._fucking_. Victoria had thought of James as her mate, but James, according to Edward, had not felt the same way. The male in Greenland thought nothing of offering to buy her. So, there were definitely many different levels of vampire interaction.

Well, she'd just have to cross that bridge when she came to it - and try not to cause a scene if it _did_ come to that.

Right. No problem.

She realized they'd entered a kitchen - a large, modern, well-appointed kitchen that she thought she probably would have appreciated a lot more seven years ago.

All right. She figured no acting was necessary for _this_ scenario.

"What the hell are we doing?" she demanded of Maria…in a simper. She _tried_ to simper. She was _pretty sure_ she simpered and didn't demand. "Are we really cooking him breakfast?"

Maria laughed. "Of _course_ not! I have slaves for that. What do I look like?" She clapped her hands sharply. "Ofelia!" she screeched. A moment later an older woman came stumbling out of a small door off to the side, clearly having just awakened. The woman looked half asleep and thoroughly frightened. "The master's breakfast…_now_!" she said. "Oh, yes, and make it for two!" she all but yelled at the woman, who was already scurrying around the room and getting pans out.

"Two?" Bella asked.

Maria snorted. "Yes. You and I, of course, have already eaten ours in the kitchen. We don't want to interrupt the men, now do we?"

"But Jasper..." Bella began. Always the concerned puta… Whores could be concerned, couldn't they? He was, after all, her meal ticket…or something like that. Clearly, she would want him kept happy, right?

"Yes, poor Jasper," Maria smirked, clearly enjoying the mental image. "He's always been a clever boy. He'll figure _something_ out. Or not. I'm sure it isn't the first time he's had to pretend, what with living that pretend life with the Cullens for the last fifty years - something _you_'ll have to learn to do, too, no doubt, if you decide to stay with him..." she trailed off, looking at Bella speculatively.

"Do _you_ have to do it?" Bella challenged her. "You _are_ with that human..." she trailed off uncertainly. She had assumed they were together. The Denalis, after all, slept with human males on a regular basis.

Maria laughed. "Oh, yes. I am _with_ him, as you so charmingly put it."

"But does he know what you are?" Bella asked. Even a bimbo – a _vampire_ bimbo – would be curious about such things. After all, every vampire knew the Volturi's Laws.

"No...not exactly," Maria said, smiling.

"How can you hide it?" Bella wondered aloud. "In the room earlier, he could have walked right in!"

Maria looked at her like she was crazy. "I would have heard him coming long before he entered the room, idiot. I would not have fed if he had been awake. Besides, he thinks I have…_exotic_...tastes."

Bella looked at her in disbelief. Exotic tastes? _That_ was an understatement.

Maria waved a hand dismissively. "Luckily, he prefers to dine alone or with his Generals. It is a very..._macho_...culture, Isabella."

You're just his whore, Bella thought to herself, having the good sense not to say it out loud.

It must have shown on her face, though. "You think I'm a whore, don't you, Isabella? Just like _you_," Maria said, leaning in to hiss Bella's name in her face. "Heriberto and I…well, we have a..._business_...arrangement."

Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, as difficult as it is to believe, we do. We both provide the other with something wanted, needed..." she preened a little. Bella inwardly cringed, thinking that once upon a time Maria had provided _Jasper_ with those very same things…and he _her_…for over a century. "He provides me and my..._friends_...with a den. A cover, if you will. It's _so_ much better than a hovel in the desert, not that you would understand that. I'm sure Jasper Whitlock has kept a pretty thing like you in nothing but the finest of accommodations, even if he _is_ making you eat animals." Bella wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw jealousy flash in Maria's eyes.

"I saw the way he lived when I visited the Cullens," she continued, a sneer in her voice. "When he was with that _other_ whore of his. Tell me, does he keep you there too? Does he keep you…_together_?" She leaned in. "Tell me, Isabella..." Her voice was compelling. It reminded Bella of the Romanians and her encounter in a library on the other side of the world. "Does he _take _you both together?"

Bella stepped backwards in spite of herself.

"No," she answered, her voice almost a whisper. "No, he doesn't. It's me. Just me."

"Hmph. For now maybe." Maria snorted. "Don't get too comfortable in your position, Isabella. He'll move on. Mark my words. He'll get tired of you and your pretty little eyes and your pretty little body and he'll move on. You need to keep that in mind. It's a harsh world out there, Isabella, even for a vampire - _especially_ for a pretty little thing such as yourself. You need to know your options. You need to know you _have_ options!"

"Mistress," the human woman whispered, stepping closer to them.

That broke whatever spell Maria had been weaving. Giving herself a slight shake, Bella felt herself returning to normal. What the _hell_ was this crazy bitch talking about, she wondered. She was a _vampire_, for goodness' sake! If she didn't have Jasper, she'd still be just fine! There were plenty of vampires running around out there without a mate. Geez, Jasper had been right about her - the woman was _crazy_.

"Mistress," the human said again, a little louder. Bella realized she probably had not heard anything the two vampires had been saying. Indeed, she might not have realized they were speaking at all.

"_What_?" Maria snapped at her, causing the human to jump back. Bella felt sorry for the old woman but also knew there wasn't anything she could do to help her.

"The f-f-food," the woman stuttered. "It is ready."

"Yes, yes, give it here," Maria snapped, grabbing the tray of food the woman was holding and causing the orange juice to slosh over the rims of the two glasses. "Isabella - the coffee, please, if you would?" Maria said, nodding her head toward a pot of coffee.

Feeling like she'd fallen down the rabbit hole, Bella grabbed the pot of coffee, along with two mugs that were sitting nearby, and followed Maria back to the library. Maria kicked the door open and crossed the room, slamming the tray down on the table in front of the fireplace. Bella followed, carefully setting down the pot of coffee and two mugs.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Jasper looked between the two women, eyebrows raised in silent question.

"Enjoy your breakfast, Jasper," Bella said, laughter in her voice. She felt his aggravation, but it just made her smile a little more. There was nothing wrong with having a little fun in the middle of a tense situation, right?

"Are you ladies joining us?" Heriberto asked politely.

"Oh, no, mi querido," Maria said. "We ate ours in the kitchen while Ofelia was cooking yours. I think I'll take Isabella here on a tour of the..._facilities_ - that is, if Jasper doesn't mind?"

Jasper looked at Maria with a hard glint in his eyes. His gaze shifted to Bella. She shrugged her shoulders almost imperceptibly. She trusted his judgement. If he thought it was safe, she didn't mind going with the crazy bitch.

Apparently he decided it was safe enough. "That would be fine," he said shortly, nodding his head at Bella.

"Good," Heriberto said. "We'll catch up with you ladies later, then." He turned to his food, clearly dismissing them.

Bella turned to follow Maria out of the room. After they closed the door, she heard Heriberto's voice from within.

"Fine ass on that one, Whitlock. When you're done with her, I'd be interested in taking her off your hands. I could get a fine price for her."

"I'll remember that," Jasper replied coldly.

Maria looked at Bella and laughed.

"Like that would ever happen," Bella said through gritted teeth.

"Heriberto is a fool," Maria said agreeably. "But he's a fool who is very useful to me. Come now, let me show you the..._facilities_."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

The sun was setting over the rooftops when the car arrived in shadow of an overhanging roof to pick up Jasper and Bella. The same two humans who had picked them up that morning were once again with it.

"Are you _sure_ you won't stay?" Maria asked, looking up at him from where she hung on his arm. Bella was sure she felt steam coming out of her ears from where she walked behind them, accompanied by Heriberto. Heriberto, ever the gentleman, evidently also felt the need to escort her properly. She was currently on his arm in a position similar to Maria's - except for the hanging part. She made sure not to hang…or rip off limbs…or bite necks. It wasn't easy, but she managed it. All in all, really, she was amazed with the control she'd shown over the course of the day. She hoped Jasper was equally impressed with it.

"Quite sure," Jasper said, anger in his voice as he answered Maria. "I need to go and discuss things with Carlisle."

Alright, Bella thought. Maybe Jasper was too angry to have noticed her control. But really, he should be impressed that she'd destroyed nothing during their visit. After all, she was impressed that he'd left Herbert the Horse alive, in spite of the fact that the man insisted on touching her.

"I'm sure you do," Maria said, laughing. "Well, you have twenty-four hours, Jasper. We'll see you again tomorrow night, yes?"

"Yes," Jasper said as he disengaged her from his arm. Turning to Bella and Heriberto, he not-so-gently removed her from the human's grasp, and opened the door of the SUV. He all but shoved her inside before following her in. No more words were exchanged with Maria or Heriberto, and the SUV pulled smoothly away from the curb.

Bella did not have to be told to keep quiet in what was, effectively, an extension of the enemy camp. They didn't even risk speaking at vampire speed for fear that Maria could have recording devices planted in the vehicle that she – or one of the other vampires they'd met that day – would be monitoring. Instead, they sat on opposite sides of the cab, each staring out their own window in silence and trying to come to terms with what they had seen that day.

Bella felt like she was sitting in a pool of despair and anger, unable to decide which emotion was stronger. Jasper, though, apparently decided to settle on anger, which he wrapped around himself like a cloak. Bella couldn't wait to be alone with him so she could try to help him - somehow, some way.

The car drove slowly back through town. By the time they were on the south side of Nuevo Laredo again, the sun had finally set. There was no lingering twilight here in these latitudes. It was already sunless enough for them to escape into the growing darkness when they exited the car. They were quickly in the brush along the river, and evidently Jasper felt no need to wait until full dark to cross because, without waiting to say anything to her, he jumped the river and disappeared into the trees on the other side.

With an angry huff of annoyance, Bella was right behind him. He was waiting for her on the other side, just out of sight of the water.

"What the _hell_ was that for, Jasper?" she demanded angrily.

"I could ask the same of you, _Isabella_," he growled, rounding on her angrily.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N** Alright, lovely readers, FFnet is having major fail lately, but thanks to a tip on the forums I think this chapter is going up on schedule. And, as always, thanks to Super Beta for doing her Beta Thing.

On another note, Super Beta and I will be meeting in Real Life next week as the Wordy Bitch Road Trip 2011 continues. Here's hoping we don't kill each other, and still like each other when it's over.

**Last week on "Chaotic Dynamics":**

_The car drove slowly back through town. By the time they were on the south side of Nuevo Laredo again, the sun had finally set. There was no lingering twilight here in these latitudes. It was already sunless enough for them to escape into the growing darkness when they exited the car. They were quickly in the brush along the river, and evidently Jasper felt no need to wait until full dark to cross because, without waiting to say anything to her, he jumped the river and disappeared into the trees on the other side. _

_With an angry huff of annoyance, Bella was right behind him. He was waiting for her on the other side, just out of sight of the water. _

_"What the hell was that for, Jasper?" she demanded angrily. _

_"I could ask the same of you, Isabella," he growled, rounding on her angrily._

Chapter 10

"What the hell do you mean?" Bella demanded.

"You _know_ what I mean!" Jasper snarled.

"Um, no, I _don't_ know. All I know is that I had just about the worst day since...since…since I don't know when - probably since that missile silo in Siberia. No, no..." she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin, "Actually, I think the worst day since I got thrown out of that freaking _plane_. And it was all made that much more special by you abandoning me over there!" Her voice had escalated in volume until she was screeching and gesticulating wildly behind her at the river. The birds that had been roosting for the night in the trees around them rose up into the sky, squawking in protest.

"_You_ had a bad day?" he yelled. "I almost had to eat _eggs_! And then freakin' enchiladas and _beans_ at lunch! All the while watching you parade yourself around that piece of fucking _meat_!"

"You _told_ me to play the bimbo!" she yelled. "I was playing my _part_ that _you_ assigned me!"

"You didn't have to do it so well!" he snarled in her face.

"Well? _Well_? Are you calling me a whore?" she screamed at him. "You...you... _jackass_!" Before he had a chance to reply, she struck quicker than a snake, grabbing him by the throat and flinging him to the ground. He lay there, stunned, and before he could respond, she was on top of him and had her teeth buried in his shoulder, growling and snarling as she shook her head.

"Shit. _Shit_!" he cried, grabbing her by the shoulders. He couldn't push her off of him without risking losing a good chunk of himself in the process, and he couldn't fight back without hurting her. His earlier anger dissipated, and he fought to shove a good dose of lethargy at her. It was to no avail, though, since her shield was up.

"Bella. Baby. Sweetheart…" he said, softening his voice and trying to get her attention. She just growled louder and bit down harder. "Please, baby. You gotta stop this..." he said as she shook her head again and snarled – no mean task since her mouth was full of his shoulder. It reminded him of when he first ran up on her in Siberia. At least in this case she didn't appear interested in actually _literally_ taking a bite out of him this time. But shit, this _hurt_. He almost couldn't think straight, coming off the emotional high of his raging anger combined with the pain in his shoulder and the need to _not_ hurt Bella.

Instead of trying to push her off him, Jasper changed tactics. He sat up – no easy feat - and pulled her closer to him, trying to situate her in his lap. To his surprise, she let him. Then he realized it was probably only because it gave her better leverage for her bite. Well, for whatever reason, she allowed it to happen.

"Bella...shhh...shh..." he said, rocking back and forth, trying to comfort her that way - the old fashioned way, the way he had when he'd first found her. He started rubbing her back, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder, which was now excruciating because her venom was pouring into it. "It's all right, Bella. I'm here. I'm here now... Shhh, baby, it'll be okay..."

He kept it up - the quiet words, the comforting touches, the emotions that she was still not allowing in. Minutes went by, then almost a half hour, before the growling ceased. Another a half hour went by before she finally released him and collapsed.

Soon she was shaking and sobbing against him. She might not have the ability to cry real tears, but she was drooling plenty of venom out of her mouth that more than made up for it. Between his own leaking out of her bite on his shoulder and what she was slobbering out between her cries and incoherent words, Jasper found his shirt soaked in a matter of minutes.

"Bella...Bella...shhh…" he continued to whisper, over and over again. Finally her cries quieted and her shield dropped.

"Oh, baby..." he whispered, petting her hair. "What the hell brought that on? That wasn't _all_ from me being an asshole, now was it?" Her emotions were a wild mix of fear, disgust, anger, and embarrassment.

"No..." she said, and he could have sworn he heard her hiccup. "No, the bite was for you being an asshole..."

"And I deserved it," he assured her. "I _did_. You bite me anytime I behave that way again, you hear me?"

"Ye-ye-yes..." she stuttered. The embarrassment faded away, but the rest remained.

"Now, tell me. Tell me what happened to you today?"

"Is this a debriefing?" she asked.

"This is whatever you want to call it. Yeah, I need to know everything that was said, everything that you saw. But for now, just tell me what has you so upset…'cuz I've got a strong feeling it ain't about eating eggs."

"I didn't have to eat eggs," she mumbled against his shoulder

"Well, I didn't either, sweetheart, but you know what I mean..."

"You were so _angry_ with me..." she said.

"I was. And I apologize. You're right – you were only doin' what I asked you to do. I...just...well, there's no excuse, no excuse at all for me being angry with you. But I had a bad day, too, and having to watch you...and not being able to react like I needed to...well, it wasn't easy, sweetheart. Not a bit. I couldn't do what I wanted, and it all built up, and…well, you happened to be in the way when I finally blew. And I apologize. I can't apologize enough..."

"It's all right, Jasper," she whispered.

"No, sweetheart, it's not all right. Not a bit. But I can't turn back time and change me yelling at you."

"You _do_ it again and I'll _bite_ you again," she whispered.

"I don't expect anything less. Now, spill."

"Oh, Jasper, it was _horrible_!" she wailed, setting off the birds again. "She showed me all the humans! And they were in _cages_! And...and...arggghhh!" She screamed, frustration flowing out of her. "I just...I just can't even begin to tell you..." She turned her face skyward and started a keening wail that set his teeth on edge. It would have sent shivers up his spine and given him goosebumps if he'd still been human.

"Ok, sweetheart, listen…listen to me."

The keening quieted but didn't stop.

"You just... Maybe you should…um, maybe burn off some of the emotion first... Maybe it'll help you talk about it."

Her wailing stopped and she looked at him. It didn't escape his notice that her eyes were black in spite of the fact that they'd fed only sixteen hours earlier. It was the black of anger and distress, not hunger.

"I want to destroy her. _That_ will make me feel better," she hissed.

"Okay…okay, I get that. I really do. But for now? Not gonna happen. So, why don't you just…um, tear up some trees?"

She looked at him like he was crazy.

"It will help. _Trust_ me. A little destruction will go a long way. Just...stick right around here, okay? And I should probably call Carlisle. They're probably sick with worry. Alice was probably only getting glimpses of us today – I could tell your shield was all over the place earlier. Is that all right with you? It'll just be a quick call, and I'll be right here the whole time."

Bella nodded slowly and then turned her attention to a small tree next to her. Giving it a couple sharp tugs first, she then ripped it completely out of the ground. She turned to look at Jasper.

"That's right, baby," he said, nodding encouragingly. "Now, throw it! And scream. You gotta scream if it's going to work right."

She threw it and Jasper watched the tree disappear into the darkness. The scream she let out seemed kind of half-hearted compared to the wailing she'd been doing just a moment before, but by the third tree she seemed to have the hang of it. He nodded to himself. Vampire therapy, it worked every time.

He pulled out his cell phone, turned it on, and dialed Carlisle's number. Bella was drifting away from him in search of more trees, so he slowly followed her, not wanting to risk her getting so far that he couldn't catch her quickly if she took off running. Reaching out, he could feel nobody in the area - human _or_ vampire. They'd either lost their follower or maybe he was just waiting for them back in Laredo.

Carlisle answered on the third ring. "Jasper, thank God you called! What on earth is that noise in the background?"

"Um...that's Bella," Jasper said, ducking as a boulder whizzed by his head. As soon as Carlisle's voice had come through the phone, she'd spun around, throwing her aim off. At least Jasper _thought_ the boulder hadn't really been meant for him. She didn't, however, cease the shrieking noise she was making. "She's a little upset right now and trying to burn off some steam so she can talk."

"What the _hell_ happened to you two today? Alice was having some pretty horrific visions. Is Bella all right?"

"I hope so, Carlisle." Jasper dropped his voice to a near whisper when Bella whirled on him again, holding another boulder. He didn't need the phone broken if he didn't manage to move quickly enough. "It's a long story, Carlisle. We were separated today."

"Separated? What do you mean?" Carlisle interrupted.

"Look, Carlisle, if you keep interrupting me, I'm not going to be able to tell you _anything_. Let me give you a brief overview right now and then we can discuss it in depth afterward - maybe after Bella's finished here..."

"Sorry."

"Right. Okay. So, we went over to Nuevo Laredo this morning. We crossed the river in the dark – Maria didn't want us going over officially, and frankly, I had to agree with her on that. The less we show up officially on _anybody_'s camera feed, the better. So, we got over there and we were picked up by a couple of humans, military looking. Before you ask - no, I couldn't tell if they knew what we were. If I had to guess, I'd guess no. They were too..._calm_. Really, they weren't even as nervous as _most_ humans are. So, they took us to the other side of town, to a compound of sorts. Maria was there, waiting for us with another vampire, male. We went inside the house – humans all over the place, servants apparently. All of them seemed pretty damned afraid of Maria and the man, but not so much of me and Bella."

Bella stopped in mid-uprooting to stare at him. Jasper made a 'continue on' motion with his hands and lowered the phone. "You're doing great, babe. Keep going!" he told her. She immediately finished with that tree and moved on to another one. He wanted to laugh at the face she made – it was a mesquite and the scent of it was overwhelming. She looked like she wanted to sneeze but couldn't. He personally thought the scrubby trees of this part of Texas would probably not provide nearly as big of a sense of satisfaction as completely shredding one of the huge pines or hemlocks of the Pacific Northwest did, but she seemed to be happy with the activity. Her shrieking and screaming resumed.

"Anyway, we got separated soon after. No, don't worry - I wouldn't have let anything happen to her. Give me a break, Carlisle. I can guarantee that at _no_ time did I ever get a sense of a _personal_ threat from Maria or any of the other vamps we encountered… No, I didn't actually get a chance to speak with her alone today. I spent the day with Heriberto, Maria's..._something_. I don't know what the fuck he is to her. Her pet human. Yeah, a human. You heard me right. I don't know. I think they're fucking each other. Sorry, Esme. I'm just a little upset right now." Jasper sighed. Esme had evidently ripped the phone out of Carlisle's grasp when she'd come close enough to hear Bella in the background.

"Yes, that's Bella you're hearing. No, she's okay - as okay as she _can_ be. She had a rough day. No, I don't know exactly what happened to her. She spent the day with Maria, which would be enough to put anybody in a tizzy. I gotta say, she was just amazing today – kept her cool the whole day. But now...she just hasn't been able to tell me anything yet without coming undone..." His empty hand crossed over to his shoulder to rub her most recent bite absentmindedly. It amazed him how a bite from her, delivered in the height of passion, didn't bother him hardly at all, but a bite in anger could ache for days. He sighed again. "I'll tell you everything I know as soon as I find out. Can you put Carlisle back on?"

He heard sirens in the distance, barely audible to him over the noise Bella was making, but they were definitely sirens and they were definitely quickly approaching.

"Shit. Carlisle, look…I gotta go."

"Are those sirens I hear?" Carlisle asked. "Yes, you better go. Call me as soon as you can. Don't let her take off, Jasper. _She_'s your priority, not this mission-"

"I _know_ that Carlisle," Jasper hissed through gritted teeth. "I'll call you as soon as I can!" He flipped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket.

"Bella!" he shouted, trying to be heard over her cries and the sound of the landscape being rearranged. She stopped pulverizing the boulder under her hands and turned to look at him. "We gotta go!"

She stopped screeching. "But...I don't feel better yet," she whimpered, sounding almost broken.

Jasper sighed. "I know, babe, but you've drawn some attention to us. We gotta get out of here – _now_! Are you gonna be all right?'

"No..."

"Well, are you gonna be all right enough to travel and keep your shit together?"

"Yes..."

She didn't sound very sure of her answer. "All right…well, let's head east. See if you feel better after you get some blood in you, then maybe we'll go back to the hotel. How does that sound?'

She hesitated, her head turning in the direction of the sirens, which were now probably only a mile or so away. She nodded. "Yes. I want to hunt."

"That's my girl. Let's go hunt!"

He took off at a run, grabbing her hand as he went by her. She didn't hesitate to grab it and run with him. It might not have been much in the way of tension relief, but even the few minutes that she'd been able to engage in some good old fashioned destruction had been an immense help to her, Jasper could tell. Now, if he could just get some blood in her and then take her back to soak in a hot tub, then maybe she'd be ready to talk.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N** So...in case you, the readers, haven't noticed, FFnet has been less-than-stellar lately, in the matter of letting people post chapters, sending out alerts, sending out reviews, etc. If I haven't replied to LAST weeks reviews, I might have not gotten them yet. If I don't reply to reviews THIS week, it's because I'm gonna be homeless for the next few days, as I am moving. But more importantly, I am going to finally meet Super Beta In Real Life! That's right, Super Beta is flying across the continent and across borders, and we are going to see what sort of trouble we can get up to in New Orleans. If NEXT week's chapter doesn't get posted, well, you'll know we got in to a little TOO much trouble!

There. If you know me In Real Life, you now know my Alter Ego, and what I do in my spare time.

**Last week on Chaotic Dynamics (I really like posting these little reminders, but I'm crap at remembering to do it most of the time):**

_Jasper sighed. "I know, babe, but you've drawn some attention to us. We gotta get out of here – now! Are you gonna be all right?' _

_"No..." _

_"Well, are you gonna be all right enough to travel and keep your shit together?" _

_"Yes..." _

_She didn't sound very sure of her answer. "All right…well, let's head east. See if you feel better after you get some blood in you, then maybe we'll go back to the hotel. How does that sound?' _

_She hesitated, her head turning in the direction of the sirens, which were now probably only a mile or so away. She nodded. "Yes. I want to hunt." _

_"That's my girl. Let's go hunt!" _

_He took off at a run, grabbing her hand as he went by her. She didn't hesitate to grab it and run with him. It might not have been much in the way of tension relief, but even the few minutes that she'd been able to engage in some good old fashioned destruction had been an immense help to her, Jasper could tell. Now, if he could just get some blood in her and then take her back to soak in a hot tub, then maybe she'd be ready to talk._

Chapter 11

Once they reached the open rangeland east of town, where ranches and game farms blurred together across the landscape, Bella broke away from Jasper and took off into the darkness. He hesitated, trying to decide whether to follow her or hunt on his own. He finally decided to follow her and so took off at a run. A moment later a growl drifted back to him through the dark letting him know she wanted privacy. Again he hesitated. There was no vibration on his phone, which would indicate a message from Alice telling him what he should choose. He shook his head. Once again, they - _he_ - had become dependent - too dependent - on her visions. Bella's shield was down still, so if Alice had seen something dangerous in Bella's choice to hunt alone or his decision to let her, she would have certainly let him know.

He veered slightly away from her trail until he was running parallel to her, a couple miles to the south - near enough to hear, theoretically, if she needed help, but far enough away to give her privacy on her hunt. He himself wasn't too thirsty, but he took down a couple of javelinas when he ran across a small herd, just in case. The taste reminded him of the stench from the bacon on his plate that morning at breakfast, and he had to force himself to finish the second animal, wishing with every pull from the vein that he'd decided to go for a deer instead.

When he was finished, he headed back towards the north, finding a large pile of boulders where he perched and waited for Bella to finish feeding. Using the pull that connected them, he could feel her in the general area, although she'd moved out of range of his other senses. He lay on the rocks and stared up at the southern stars from the first century of his existence, both alive and dead. They were like old friends, still much more familiar to him than the northern skies, which were so often cloud-covered and hidden.

It was almost like falling asleep, the peaceful silence he relaxed into, as he continued to feel the pull of his mate moving back and forth as she hunted in the distance. Her movements were almost hypnotic, lulling him into even more of a relaxed state. Her movements would still for a bit occasionally, and he pictured her taking down her prey and draining it dry. She seemed to be stopping quite a bit and he wondered if she was actually drinking that much or if her prey was consisting of smaller game…or if she was engaging in some more 'destructive therapy'.

A few hours later, though, she began moving toward him, the pull between them bringing her to him almost as if he were reeling her in. He felt her emotions first. She was sated, and while not happy, she was certainly calmer than she had been earlier. Her scent hit him next, her normal scent overlaid with that of her recent kills, and he hoped she wasn't covered in blood - smuggling a woman covered in blood back into the hotel would be no mean feat. He heard her flitting through the underbrush, and then the almost silent sound of her bare feet as she crossed the rock and grass next, followed finally by the sight of her breaking through the trees. She made a final leap, landing silently on the rock beside him, and he sat up to look at her. Her clothes were clean, if a bit rumpled, and she was carrying her shoes.

"Good hunt?" he asked quietly as she collapsed next to him.

"It was..._good_," she said, sighing and lying back on the rock while reaching for his hand. He grasped it tightly and rolled on his side to look at her. He sniffed the air, then leaned over to sniff her face and neck, and then leaned in closer still to lick at a few drops of dried blood on her chin.

"Bear?" he asked, puzzled, pulling back again to look at her face. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Yeah," she answered vaguely.

"Hmph. And you didn't share? I had fuckin' pig." He snorted, disgruntled.

"It was a small one, anyway. You didn't miss much," she said, still not looking at him. A small amount of guilt trickled off her.

That was weird. "Yeah, well, the pigs sucked big time. Bear would have been nice. I'm surprised you found one…I mean, I realize these places 'stock' them, but I haven't run across a trail out here yet."

More guilt trickled out. "Yeah..."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, suddenly suspicious. "Where'd you find the bear, Bella?"

She waved her hand back in the direction she'd come from. "Out there," she said.

"A little more specific, please. You didn't find it just wandering around, did you?" Realization was dawning on him.

"No," she whispered.

"Where'd you find it, babe?"

"In a cage."

"A cage, huh? Just...sitting in a cage, out in the middle of nowhere in south Texas?" He wasn't angry, he was just curious - curious about why she obviously didn't want to talk about it.

"No. A cage…like, in barn."

_That_ got his attention. "A barn? You went to one of their...holding facilities? What the hell, Bella? What the fuck were you thinking? What if there were humans around?"

"I was thinking I wanted a bear! And I made sure there weren't any humans around first," she said, getting defensive.

He let his breath out in a huff. "And did you drink the bear right there, Bella?"

"No! What, do you think I'm _totally_ stupid? I...just opened the cage. It came out on its own. Once it was outside, I sort of chased it into the brush. Then I ate it. And then I carted it further away to bury it. Nobody is going to find it."

"And what about the cameras, Bella? Because I'm betting a barn full of really expensive animals is going to have some sort of surveillance system, recording some pretty little girl, dressed like a whore, letting the bear out of its cage - a pretty little girl that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly, I'm guessing."

Her eyes widened. "Oh..."

"Yeah, 'oh'. You've got to start thinking of _everything_, Bella. We aren't in bumfuck Siberia here. We're in the U-S-fucking-A, and they have cameras _everywhere_."

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to..."

He sighed again. "I know, I know. I'll give Em a call when we get back to the hotel and get him started on seeing if he finds any signs of it. Really, I'm sure it will just look like some PETA nutcase letting the bear loose. Don't worry too much about it, Bella. Just...you've got to start thinking now that we're back in 'civilization'. It wouldn't matter if we were just nomads, out on our own, but we've got to protect the family, too."

"I know," she whispered. "I'll do better. I'll be more careful."

"I know you will, babe." He pulled her closer to him until she was lying across his chest, her head tucked under his chin. "So...did the bear taste good?"

He felt her smile against him. "It did."

"Good. At least one of us had something decent for dinner." He placed a kiss on her head and pulled his love around them like a blanket.

"It's my fault, really," he said suddenly.

"What is?" she murmured against him.

"The whole..._bear_ thing. I let you go off to hunt on your own while you were still upset. I shouldn't have done that. I should have listened to my own advice. We're not in fuckin' Siberia any more, or Greenland. Even there, I never let you hunt alone. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. I _wasn't_ thinking."

"I'm not a baby, Jasper," she said. "Although...I guess I really need to start thinking a little more. It's not just about not eating the humans, is it?"

"No, Bella, it's not. You know, the Volturi did one good thing when they made The Law. It's just getting harder and harder to follow it in today's world…and it's getting harder and harder to hide, especially for covens like the Cullens' that try to integrate, to an extent, with humanity. There's so much you have to consider with every action you take…"

"Sort of like thinking before you decide to climb the Empire State Building?" she asked playfully.

"Yeah, a lot like that. I guess it's hard to listen to me preach with that hanging over my head, huh?"

"No, not really. We both knew it was stupid when we did it. But it was so _fun_!" She rolled off him and giggled, remembering.

"It _was_ fun. It's _all_ fun and games…until you get caught on camera." He leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her, leaning over a bit to trace her face with his free hand. "It was a long day. We're both stressed and not thinking clearly - not that that's an acceptable excuse, but..."

"It is what it is," she whispered. "I'll do better. I promise."

"I know you will, baby." He leaned down to kiss her. "And so will I. I promise. And now, how 'bout a little more stress relief?"

"You don't want to wait until we're back at the hotel?" she said while giggling, breaking their kiss.

"No. I want to fuck like vampires," he growled, moving his mouth to nip at her jaw. "And a hotel room is not conducive to such a thing. There's no stress relief in trying to not break the bed or wake the neighbors..." He quickly moved his mouth down her shoulder, pushing her shirt aside with his hand before grabbing her with his teeth - not hard enough to break skin, but with enough pressure to have her writhing against him.

"Yes..." she hissed in pleasure, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

"Don't rip, don't rip," he whispered, releasing her shoulder and moving to push her own shirt carefully over her head. "We need to make it back to our room later..."

"Yes, yes…" she chanted, finally getting the last button undone before pushing his shirt down his arms. With a flick of both wrists, he sent it flying behind him. He started unbuckling his belt as she wiggled out of her shirt and panties.

"What, no Hello Kitty today?" he asked. He grabbed the panties out of her hand and held them up to get a better look at them. He had to bite back a laugh at the white cotton thong adorned with several colorful chili peppers and the word 'caliente'.

"I thought this was more on-topic," she whimpered, reaching for him, "what with our going to Mexico and all."

He shook his head and pulled her into his lap. "I love you, so much," he whispered into her hair, flipping the thong behind him, where it joined the pile of the rest of their clothing. Bella wrapped her legs around him, arching her back and rubbing against him. His hands slid down her torso until he was grasping her hips and moving her against him in a way that was sure to drive them both crazy. She braced her feet on the rock behind him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Love you too," she whispered, rolling her hips against him.

"Oh, babe," he groaned. "You're gonna kill me."

"Maria already did," Bella said, her voice catching.

"Not like you are." He leaned forward and tried to grab one of her nipples in his mouth, but she pushed away from him so he couldn't reach it. He growled in frustration and tried again.

"_Nothing_ like me," Bella said, twisting her torso out of his reach again and causing her hips to grind against him once more.

"Nothing like you," he agreed. "Never like you." He paused, sampling her emotions, and felt flickers of jealousy and insecurity, recognizing their probable source. This, at least, he could fix right now. "_Never_ like you!" he repeated, his voice stronger as he pulled her firmly against him and pushed all his love at her. "Maria was _nothing_ to me, Bella. She gave me this life when she gave me death. She ruled my life for a century, but she never ruled my heart. I never _had_ a heart until I left her. And now, that heart belongs to you. _Only_ you…"

"Me…" Bella agreed, nodding her head. She shifted her weight and changed position until she was on her knees over him, pushing him until he was on his back on the rock. "_My_ heart. _My_ Jasper." She was growling now and Jasper wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself. He wasn't going to stop to ask, though, because she was hovering over him in the most enticing way and he didn't want her moving away.

"Mine. All mine. _My_ Jasper," she whispered again.

"Yours," he agreed as she lowered herself onto him, sinking down onto his length until he was fully sheathed. "_Yours_," he groaned in agreement again as she started to move.

Bella was rougher in her lovemaking than normal. She was surprising in her intensity, for she'd never been aggressive with him like this before – at least never while making love. In fact, Jasper decided, it wasn't really making love at all. She refused to let him change position when he attempted to roll them over at one point, instead grabbing his wrists and forcing them over his head.

Since that put her breasts in a strategically pleasing position, he didn't fight her on it. Besides, he'd been the one to say they needed to fuck like vampires, so he hardly felt it was his place to protest when she actually took him up on it. He did, however, direct her teeth to his other shoulder when she bent over to bite him as she climaxed. There was only so much pain he was willing to subject himself to in the name of stress relief - or for a satisfying, mind blowing orgasm, which it was.

Afterwards, they lay curled up together on the rock for a while, almost perfectly still and silent.

"Feel better?" he finally whispered.

"Yes. A bit."

"Wanna talk about it now?"

"Yeah..." She fell silent again though.

Finally, Jasper broke the silence. It wouldn't be too long before dawn was upon them, and he wanted to be safely back in the hotel before that happened. If anything they talked about set her off again, it was better it happen out here in the middle of nowhere.

"Bella, tell me what she showed you. Please."

"People, Jasper," she whispered, not looking at him. "Humans…in cages, in that big building back behind the house – the warehouse looking thing? It was full of people in cages."

"People in cages..." he trailed off thoughtfully. "Did you see or smell the ones she brought into the library earlier?"

Bella shook her head. "No, but there were so many that I might not have been able to pick out their scents. You know I'm not so good at that..."

"But there are other buildings too," he said. "At least three that I could see from the driveway."

"Yeah, there were three – the big one in the middle and then two smaller ones. She didn't take me into the smaller ones."

"Hmm...Heriberto took me to the one on the right. There weren't any humans being stored, just his soldiers..." He thought for a moment.

"What sorts of people, Bella? Why was she showing you? Did she say? Was she just trying to intimidate you? Impress you? Tempt you? What sorts of cages?" The questions were flying out almost as fast as his brain was working.

"Um...all sorts of people - you know, not just young and pretty, like what she brought into the library. No children, though. No real old ones, either. The cages were like…I don't know, like prison cages? Not like dog kennels. There were several people in each cage. They weren't stuffed in like sardines, though. All races. A lot more were Hispanic than anything, though."

"Hmm...did they smell?"

"Well, _yeah_..."

"No. I mean, did they smell like they weren't clean? Like they weren't cared for?" She turned her head to look at him, still confused by his question. He sighed. "Did they smell like they'd been pissing on themselves? Did they even have clothes on?"

"Oh! Yeah... No, they didn't smell too bad. I mean, the smell of them all together like that was...overwhelming, you know? No, I don't think they were all that dirty. I mean…body odor, yeah, and I could smell urine. There were, like, toilets and stuff in the cages, but it wasn't as bad as it could be. And the building was air conditioned too. They had clothes on. _Regular_ clothes."

"I didn't hear anything..." Jasper said thoughtfully. "You'd think they'd make quite a bit of noise. Did they have their tongues or had they been mutilated like those others?"

Bella shook her head. "No. I didn't smell..._that_. There was some..._whispering_...going on. They were just quiet. She – Maria – walked us up and down between the cages. She and the other vampire kept hissing at the humans when they'd get too loud. There was another vampire in there, male, walking around on a raised walkway, like a guard."

Jasper nodded. "Makes sense. Suck a few of them dry and the rest probably get the hint real quick to keep their mouths shut. Worked like a charm back in the day. She's storing them for food, Bella. Probably bringing them in from elsewhere, based on her little show yesterday. She brings 'em in and stores 'em - not that unusual for a coven of any size." Jasper nodded to himself, happy with his conclusion. "Draws less attention to themselves."

Bella was shocked. She had no idea normal vampires fed so..._often_. There were _a lot _of people in there. Edward had said that the Cullens needed to feed more often than 'normal' vampires did because of their diet of animal blood. And they only needed to feed once a week – less often if they caught a particularly large animal or were not going to be exposed to humans. She shuddered, imagining all of the horrible things Maria and her coven must be doing to go through that many humans.

Jasper felt a wave of disgust from her. He sighed. "Bella, I told you what life with her was like. We were an army, and an army marches on its stomach. You know this."

"I know," she whispered. "But it's one thing to hear about it and another to actually see it. Do you think...do you think she lied about building an army?"

"No, I don't think she lied. She felt like she was telling the truth. You never said – did she…um, offer you any of these people, like in the library?"

"No, she didn't. I mean, she talked about it, like 'Oh, if you were with me, you could just have your pick whenever you wanted'. Stuff like that. But she didn't actually try to tempt me with any of them. She didn't touch any of them or interact with them – other than the hissing. She just showed them off and talked about how healthy they all were...such fine specimens...like they were cattle or something."

"They are, Bella. To her and the others with her there in that compound, they are." Jasper stared at the stars, silent in thought for a while. "Seems like she's enjoying the good life - settling down like that, keeping a food supply on hand. But why show you and not me? I'm the one she called down here!"

"Well, that question I can at least answer, Jasper. She told me you had to talk to Heriberto because…you know, all that macho male bullshit prevented her from talking to you first. You had to talk business with Heriberto. She seemed kind of happy to have me there to show me everything so that I could pass it along to you and save her a little bit of time."

Jasper looked even more puzzled. "Now why the hell would she think I'd have any interest in her feeding habits? I know she feeds on humans. _Carlisle _knows she feeds on humans. None of this makes any sense. It's not a fucking social visit - Maria doesn't do 'social'. There is something going on here that I'm missing, damn it!" His fist came down on the rock, leaving a small indentation in the boulder.

"She was going to tell me more, Jasper, but Heriberto's call interrupted her and we had to come back to the house for dinner. And then, you know, we couldn't get away again." Bella laughed, moving her thoughts away from those that disturbed her. "Herbert the Horse. You've been replaced with Herbert the Horse, Jasper! I don't get that part, though – why is she hiding behind a human like that? Oh! Is he, like, her 'beard'? Her human 'beard'?"

Jasper ignored her jibes about Heriberto. "I think that is exactly what he is, Bella - her human beard," Jasper said. "And I can think of a lot of reasons why she's hiding behind him. If a vampire wants to settle down at all, they need some kind of cover story. The Cullens use Carlisle and his doctor cover, and we consequently use the cover of being teenagers in school. It's more difficult than ever to come up with convincing covers in this day and age. It doesn't surprise me at all that someone like Maria gravitated to someone like Heriberto. I'm sure his human..._lifestyle_...appealed to her."

They fell silent again, watching the sky above them as the stars faded. Finally, Jasper spoke again. "Look - it's starting to lighten up. We need to get back to town. I want to change hotels – those bugs are still there and I can't guarantee I'll find them all. I'm gonna call Alice and have her make us some reservations at a Red Roof Inn or something. Shit, I'll have to pick up the car, and we can't leave our stuff in that other room. Well, I'll take care of that after we're settled in a new room."

He stood up and helped her up, then started getting dressed. "Feeling better?" he asked again.

"Much. Not all better...but a little better."

Jasper nodded. "I'll take that. I don't expect there will be an 'all better' for a while. I ain't gonna lie, Bella, I think we have a real mess on our hands here."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N** So...JaspersDestiny and I met up in Real Life, and by some Miracle, the French Quarter is still standing. I'd like to give a shout-out to Tom from Cincinnati - if you actually found the napkin the next morning, remembered what the names on it meant, and actually DID go online to find our stories, I hope you're enjoying them. Oh - and I hope you found the bra you needed for the scavenger hunt.

For Ben McGeeheehee...you TOTALLY deserved the $20 tip I wanted to give you, if for nothing else than your ability to incorporate "get off the stage" into almost every song you sang. I'm so sorry Super Beta wouldn't let me give it to, but I guess soberer heads needed to prevail at that point - if you can call having 2 Hurricanes vs. 3 Hurricanes more sober. For the record - it was Super Beta on the stage, not me. I couldn't really have gotten on the stage at that point. In her defense, she was trying to tip the players. Just not with the $20 bill I kept waving in the air.

At some point over the last weekend, FanFic apparently got it's act together, and my inbox was flooded with story updates and reviews. Ummm...I'll be honest. I'm going to READ all the reviews, but I think I won't be answering them from the last chapter. Call me Fail. But I finally moved, and I have 5 millions boxes to unpack...and I need to start writing again, so...those reviews might just not happen this time.

_**Last time on "Chaotic Dynamics":**_

_Jasper ignored Bella's jibes about Heriberto. "I think that is exactly what he is, Bella - her human beard," Jasper said. "And I can think of a lot of reasons why she's hiding behind him. If a vampire wants to settle down at all, they need some kind of cover story. The Cullens use Carlisle and his doctor cover, and we consequently use the cover of being teenagers in school. It's more difficult than ever to come up with convincing covers in this day and age. It doesn't surprise me at all that someone like Maria gravitated to someone like Heriberto. I'm sure his human...lifestyle...appealed to her." _  
_They fell silent again, watching the sky above them as the stars faded. Finally, Jasper spoke again. "Look - it's starting to lighten up. We need to get back to town. I want to change hotels – those bugs are still there and I can't guarantee I'll find them all. I'm gonna call Alice and have her make us some reservations at a Red Roof Inn or something. Shit, I'll have to pick up the car, and we can't leave our stuff in that other room. Well, I'll take care of that after we're settled in a new room." _

_He stood up and helped her up, then started getting dressed. "Feeling better?" he asked again. _

_"Much. Not all better...but a little better." _

_Jasper nodded. "I'll take that. I don't expect there will be an 'all better' for a while. I ain't gonna lie, Bella, I think we have a real mess on our hands here."_

Chapter 12

Jasper stood in the middle of the hotel room wearing nothing but a worn pair of blue jeans while toweling his hair off. When Bella first stepped out of the steaming bathroom, still wrapped in a towel herself, she initially thought he was talking to himself until she saw his cell phone on lying on the bed.

"No, it's great Alice. Clean, nice, an interior hall… We're on the top floor, got a balcony and everything. You did good. I appreciate it. We picked our stuff up at the Embassy Suites about an hour ago and then came straight here. I left the bugs there, though. Heriberto's schmucks can waste their time trying to figure out what happened when the next poor idiots check in to that room. I let any vampires listening in know under no uncertain terms that I was done fucking around. If she wants to talk to _me_, instead of trying to fuck Bella around, I'll be at the reservoir south of town tonight at midnight. If she wants to meet me there, great; if not…well, I'm going home. I'm not sure the place even has a name, but it's about eight miles south of here if you want to start checking it out in your crystal ball."

Bella started digging through the shopping bags to try to find some clean clothes she felt comfortable wearing. Alice's voice came through the phone almost as clear as if she was standing there with them. Jasper had set the phone to speaker, not that they needed it. He must not be concerned with any vampires in the area because they were both speaking at human speed.

"Hi Bella!" Alice called.

"Hi Alice," she replied, pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked. "I saw some of what might have happened today. Jasper hasn't told me anything though." Bella could almost see her 'sister' sticking her tongue out at Jasper. "He says he wants to wait till Carlisle is here. He doesn't like repeating himself..."

Jasper rolled his eyes and leaned over to give Bella a quick kiss. "You know I don't," he agreed pleasantly, picking up the towels and returning them to the bathroom.

"Well," Alice corrected, "he _did_ tell us about the bear. Emmett's already checking into it. You're going to have to start being more careful, Bella," she chided.

"I know, I know," Bella groaned, dropping onto the bed and flopping backwards. The phone flipped over from the force of her landing and bounced onto the floor. They could hear Alice protesting from under the bed, almost like she'd been there to be bounced off the bed in person. Jasper leaned down and picked it up, moving it to sit on the bedside table, before he joined Bella on the bed, sitting next to her.

"Do you think he'll be back soon, Alice, or do you want to call back when he gets home?"

"No, he'll be back pretty soon. I'm out on the back porch, so I can't actually see a clock. But based on the eagle sitting in the big pine tree in my vision and the one that is currently sitting here glaring at me, I'd say it's any minute now. And…yep, there they are now. Esme is looking pleased with herself. I'd say they had a successful hunt." There was laughter in Alice's voice, which made Jasper and Bella both smile. Bella felt a pang of homesickness and Jasper reached out to stroke her hair reassuringly.

They'd been gone so long – _she_'d been gone so long – that it hadn't really felt like home for the three days that they'd been at the house in Seward. But now...Bella wanted to be there so badly - be with the rest of the family so badly - that it almost physically hurt.

"Jasper?" Carlisle's voice came through the phone. "Bella? Are you both all right? Alice told us a bit about what she was able to see earlier today. She told us you'd probably be changing hotels this morning. Is everything going okay? What have you found out, Jasper? Has Maria told you what she wants or why she wanted to see you?"

"We're fine, Carlisle, fine - not much wiser than we were when we left you, but we're fine. And as to what Maria wants…well, I'm still not sure what the hell is going on there."

"She doesn't want you back working with her, does she?" Carlisle asked. It had been Carlisle's, if not Jasper's, biggest fear.

"No, I don't think she does. I didn't get that feeling at all. I told you, Carlisle, her power over me – whatever she had – is long gone. And without it…well, I'm worse than useless to her. I'm only of any use if I'm a willing participant, which I ain't. And I don't ever plan on being that again. I…um…well, to be honest..." Jasper looked at Bella, who was watching him carefully, "I didn't even actually get a chance to speak much to Maria yet. We met her our first night at the hotel bar at the Embassy Suites. She had three other vamps with her - well, not _with_ her, but they were in the area. While we were speaking with her, one of them bugged the hotel, bugged our room."

"Bugged? As in human bugs? Listening devices?" Carlisle sounded puzzled. "Why would she bother?"

"Yes, as in human..._devices_. So, I met her in the bar. Excuse me-" Jasper corrected himself at Bella's glare, "_we_ met her in the bar. _We_ let her think that Bella is just my latest _fling_."

They both heard an indignant snort from Alice. "Sorry, Alice," Jasper mumbled. "It was all an act, you know..."

"I _know_," Alice almost snarled. "But before this is all over, I want you to make sure that bitch knows that we were _never_ a _fling_. And neither are you and Bella. Maria's the only whore in this scenario!"

"_I_ will make sure of it," Bella promised. "And I'm definitely with you on the 'bitch' part."

"Right…" Jasper trailed off, slightly disconcerted by the direction the conversation was going. "Anyway, Maria didn't seem to take much interest in Bella. She wanted to make sure I was still with you and that I was there as your representative. She...she was different, Carlisle."

"Different? Different how?" Carlisle asked, concern in his voice.

"She was...more put together, more…human acting - dressed up nice, meeting us in a bar, in a public setting. None of that is the Maria I knew. Anyway, she started going on and on about wanting to show me what she had 'going on', and then she said she wanted to make sure you weren't going to interfere in her business. Then she said I had to cross over to Nuevo Laredo to see for myself."

"You don't think she's raising an army again, do you?" Esme asked, sounding horrified at the prospect. Jasper could imagine her shuddering – he could imagine them _all_ shuddering. Even still, while all of the Cullens had had a taste of what a newborn 'army' could do, all they'd seen was the rag-tag, poorly assembled bunch that Victoria had put together. He wasn't sure they could _truly_ imagine what Maria was capable of, given her..._experience_...in that area. He sure as hell could, though.

"No. No, I don't. I asked her that, of course, and she assured me she was doing nothing of the sort."

"Do you believe her?" Carlisle asked.

"She seemed to feel that there was no need for newborn armies to help maintain her territory, and she's right to a degree. The area is very heavily populated now. Hell, the entire planet is heavily populated now. There's not the same need to fight over food that there was in the past. She indicated that a newborn army was nothing more than a lot of useless mouths to feed now. No, she seemed quite comfortable in her current position, whatever that actually is..." Jasper sighed and rubbed his eyes. "She knows that the Volturi are gone, Carlisle, but she gave no indication that she knew the manner of their passing. I find that very difficult to believe, of course. I mean, Peter and Charlotte knew about what happened in Romania - at least, a very warped version of things. I just...I don't know if she doesn't know or if it's all part of whatever game she's playing."

"And after the bar? You crossed the border? Do you think that was wise, especially at such a public location?"

"We didn't cross at the border crossing, Carlisle." Jasper laughed. "Maria insisted we not do that, and I wouldn't have anyway. This whole area is under constant surveillance. I'd just as soon not be here at all, on _either_ side of the border. But yeah, Bella and I headed out south of town after talking with her, we did a little hunting, and then we crossed the river. She had a car waiting for us, driven by humans." Jasper paused in his narrative, waiting for a reaction, but there was only silence on the other end of the phone.

"So…these two humans took us to a compound out on the other side of Nuevo Laredo. Walled place, armed guards. Big house, several warehouses visible within the perimeter. Maria was waiting for us at the house. Lots of human servants running around. It was still dark when we got there. We go inside, she starts spouting bullshit, then her lackey brings in a line of chained humans-" _There_ was the little gasp from Esme he'd expected. "She tries to get me interested and then she tries to tempt Bella. She drains one of them right there in her library, trying to get a rise out of Bella. When nothing happens, she has 'em all hauled out again. Then she announces she wants me to meet some guy named Heriberto. Heriberto _Hidalgo_."

"Emmett?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm on it, Carlisle. Hey, Bella the Bear Baiter!" Emmett's voice called through the phone. "You'll be happy – or unhappy – to know that Bubba's Wildlife Bonanza now has _no_ video record of some hooker stealing one of their black bears!"

"Thank you, Emmett!" she called, smiling at her brother even though he wasn't there to see it. She looked at Jasper and stuck out her tongue.

"No problem, sister of mine. Hey, if anybody understands what happened, it's me. When you gotta have a bear, you gotta have a bear. Just...try to maintain a little control while you're on your super secret spy mission, all right? I can't clean up everything for you. Things are just getting _way_ too complicated nowadays."

Bella huffed. Even _Emmett_ was lecturing her now.

"Well, I'm gonna go look up this Herbert dude now. Talk to you later." They could hear movement through the phone as Emmett left the room again.

"A human?" Carlisle said, as if they'd not been interrupted at all.

"A human. She's working with a human. Hell, she's fucking a human. They're all living there, cozy like, in that compound. Her, her coven – there were at least five males there when we were there and I smelled a sixth – Heriberto, his goons, which - from what I saw - were a very well-armed, well-trained bunch, and a slew of servants. A regular nest of vipers. So, in comes Herbert-"

"The _Horse_," Bella interjected. "Herbert the Horse. Jasper's place was taken by Herbert the Horse."

Raucous laughter from all three Cullen women could be heard through the phone. "Yes. Thank you. So, Herbert comes in," Jasper continued, reaching out to flick Bella's ear and making her squeal, "and Maria drags Bella off to the kitchen to fetch us breakfast."

"What?" It was Alice now and she was definitely laughing. "_That_'s why I kept seeing you eating eggs?"

"I didn't eat them," Jasper ground out. "But it wasn't easy hiding them either. Evidently, Maria is very content with maintaining the whole 'machismo' thing, at least in front of her lover. I had to sit there all day listening to him rattle on and on and on about supply lines and import difficulties and border troubles and interrupted markets." Jasper was watching Bella very carefully now because he hadn't discussed any of this with her yet.

He really didn't like having to repeat himself. He liked to take in the information, process it, and let it roll around a bit in his head before sharing it with everybody. He normally would have made an exception for her though. He'd found over the past few years that telling her everything he knew generally made things go smoother. She was actually interested in helping him figure shit out and she contributed more than her fair share of good ideas and thoughts on the subject, no matter what that subject might be. But _this_...well, she'd been so busy trying to process her own experience as they crossed the river that he hadn't wanted to add in his to the mix.

She was watching and listening to him very carefully, but he felt no signs of her being upset, just merely curious. Good enough.

"And then he takes me to one of the outbuildings and they're full of drugs! Why the fuck does he think I care about drugs? But he clearly expected me to be impressed, so I was 'impressed'. Oh, and guns. He showed me guns. _Lots_ of guns. I was impressed with those, too. Actually…" Jasper paused, remembering, "I really _was_ impressed with those. I don't know, Carlisle…I mean, I'm _assuming_ that he and Maria have some sort of mutually beneficial relationship. She clearly holds a position of power in that compound, even if she did bring the fucker his breakfast. Part of me thinks that perhaps she _is_ hiding behind him...using him as her human 'beard', as Bella puts it, and in return…I don't know, maybe she's dangling immortality in front of him. But the more I think about it...he didn't give any indication of anything like that - at all. He didn't mention her much at all, other than to say several times that he knew of my 'association' with her in the past and that he was glad it gave him an 'in' with the Cullen Family."

"I have no idea…" Carlisle said thoughtfully. "What else did he say?"

Jasper took a completely unnecessary deep breath before continuing. "Carlisle, apparently this guy thinks you're some sort of trafficker, as well, or that you might be interested in coming on board as a new distributor for him-"

"_What_?" The sound of four vampires screeching came through the phone. Luckily, it was daytime and they didn't have any neighbors in the hotel yet. Emmett, if he could hear what Jasper was saying, hadn't been part of the group yell.

"Yeah, I think Maria might have used that to explain things in terms _he_ could understand. But I'm not sure about that. Carlisle, he mentioned several times about 'mutual friends' in Italy and the fact that something had happened to disturb the Italian 'market'. Apparently, it really threw a wrench in whatever the hell he's got going on with his little 'empire'. He never mentioned any names. Can you think of any reason at all the Volturi would have been involved in the drug market?"

"No…" Carlisle said thoughtfully. "No - not unless they were using it as a money making venture. That's always possible, I suppose. It wouldn't surprise me, actually. The brothers always considered themselves patrons of the Arts, but they also were never above getting involved in the seamier side of human activities, especially if it meant a good payoff for them. Hmm…"

"You haven't heard anything from Europe since we left, have you? Anything new from Stefan and Vlad?" Jasper asked, remembering their conversation when he and Bella had first returned from their vacation.

"_Well, we've heard from Maria..." Jasper said, trailing off. "How 'bout any of the other major players in our world? Anything from Romania? Any news – or even rumors – from Italy?"_

"_Actually, Jasper, I received a phone call from Richard in Romania about a month ago. I tried to call you, but you weren't answering your phone," Carlisle said. "He wished to convey Stefan's and Vladimir's well wishes to us and to check to see how we - especially you and Bella - were fairing. Apparently, several months after the 'incident'-"_

_Jasper snorted at his choice of words. Always diplomatic. It must be a gift of Carlisle's. Only Carlisle would call the destruction of a way of life an 'incident'._

_Carlisle looked at him reprovingly before continuing. "Late last year, they traveled to Volterra to see how what was left of the coven was fairing. Evidently, there had been some discussion between the two brothers about the possibility of..._taking over_, if you will. But they decided against it. Neither one wished to relocate after all this time, you understand. They did, however, feel it only prudent to investigate to see what had become of the remainder of the Volturi."_

_Jasper nodded. He could understand that. After several thousand years in their mountains, moving to sunny Italy would be too big a change for any vampire._

"_They arrived in Italy to find the remaining Volturi had either been destroyed or had fled. Evidently, with Chelsea's destruction, things there had become undone rather quickly. The infighting between the surviving lower guard was, apparently, rather fierce, as their natural inclinations began returning to them. By the time the dust had settled from the power struggles, most of the remaining members were either dust or had scattered. The entire center of the town was burned out – we had actually seen that on the news here, but of course didn't have any details of what had _really _happened, other than your typical 'gas main explosion' and 'aging infrastructure' phrases that the human press likes to throw around."_

_Jasper chuckled. Exploding gas mains were always a convenient cover story for vampire turf wars. Natural gas and aging pipes - every vampire's friend._

"_And the wives? Did he say anything about them?"_

"_Yes. Yes he did. Sulpicia and Athenodora were there in the town. They found them in one of the burnt out chambers alive and…not well."_

"_And…?" Jasper said, his voice hard now. Sulpicia and Athenodora had been like an ax hanging over his head since they'd left Romania. He _hated _unfinished business. He hated loose ends - and nothing was looser than the __surviving member of a mated pair. The Cullens had seen that in action time and time again in the last few years. Knowing that there were two out there who no doubt wanted nothing more than to destroy him and _his _new mate for the deaths of their _own _mates had had him constantly looking over his shoulder for too long. He just hadn't decided the best way to go about tying things up __yet._

"_Stefan and Vlad destroyed them," Carlisle said, holding Jasper's gaze. "Richard said to tell you to consider it a mating present for yourself and Bella. You don't have to worry about them being out there anymore."_

_Jasper sat back, letting his breath out in a huff. Well, well, well…he didn't know quite what to think. It was a rather...anticlimactic…end to their adventure. He didn't know for sure if he even believed the news – he always liked proof he could see with his own eyes – but still... He decided to take the information with a grain of salt. He'd go on as if it were true but always keeping a level of awareness that it might _not _be._

Jasper shook his head to try to clear it of the old conversation and pay attention to what Carlisle was saying right now.

"...and I really wouldn't expect to hear from them anytime soon. I think they're busy trying to re-build their castle or find a new one to move in to. And things like that take time now, not like the old days where you could just slaughter your neighbor and move in to their home. Anyway, back to your problem… You're going to meet with her tonight?"

"Assuming she shows, yeah. Shit, I _hope_ she shows. I really want nothing to do with this or with her, Carlisle, but I guess we really need to find out what the hell is going on. If she's so..._modernized_...in her methods, she could cause _us_ some real problems if she chooses to."

"I agree, Jasper." Carlisle sighed. "Well, I hate to say it, but you need to stay down there. Go see her tonight. Are you taking Bella?"

Jasper looked at Bella, who had sat up on the bed to stare back at him. "I...I'm going to have to, Carlisle. I don't want to take her with me – it will look suspicious if we're going to keep up the whole charade we've got going – but I don't want to leave her here, alone and exposed, either."

Bella let out a low growl at his words and Carlisle chuckled. "I'm sure she can take care of herself just fine, Jasper, especially against what you've described so far. It doesn't sound like Maria has anybody with any sort of gifts working for her. You probably would have picked up on that, and you've always said she doesn't normally turn gifted humans."

"It's not that, Carlisle. I just…ugh!"

"I know, son," Carlisle said softly. "It goes against all your instincts, I know. Believe me. Do whatever you think is best. I trust your judgment."

"Right…well, I guess that's it for now," Jasper said, looking up at Bella, who was still glaring at him. "Call us and let us know what – if anything – Emmett turns up about Heriberto. We'll just be sitting here watching TV. Or fightin'…" He winced when Bella smacked him.

"Alright," Carlisle said, amusement in his voice. "Take care." Jasper and Bella heard the click as the call was disconnected.

"What the hell do you mean? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Jasper Whitlock!" Bella whispered heatedly. "If you think it's best that I don't go tonight, then I'll stay here! You don't need to take me along with you just to keep me safe!" Her voice grew louder and he sat up and grabbed her, trying to muffle her by leaning in to kiss her.

"And _don't_ try to make me be quiet either!" she grated out, pushing away from him.

"Come on, babe," he said, trying his best to charm her with his smile. "Just..." His head swung away from her, all his senses on alert.

"Don't you 'just' me, Jasper Whitlock!" she stopped suddenly, taking in his changed appearance. "What? What is it?" she whispered almost silently, her own senses on alert.

He put a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and walked over to the door for a moment before returning to her side and pulling her off the bed to stand next to him. "We have company," he whispered in her ear.

"Mstislav?" she whispered, her eyes getting big.

"What?" he said, startled into saying it out loud. "No," he then said in a whisper, "why would you say that? What makes you think...?"

"Well, this is about the time he _usually_ shows up at our hotels," she answered, aggravated.

Jasper snorted. "True, but no - this is a vampire. I can feel them. There are two of them..."

"Maria's?"

"I can't tell… They're cautious, whoever they are," he paused, glancing at the window, where sunlight was filtering around the edges of the drapes, "and foolish, coming here in broad daylight." His brow furrowed. "They're in the hotel now…coming up the stairs." He crossed to the door again, pulling Bella with him. "Get ready," he mouthed.

She nodded, trying to keep her nerves under control along with controlling her urge to surround Jasper with her shield. She could hear the cautious steps in the hallway now – two sets – although she couldn't smell them yet. She silently cursed her apparent vampiric weakness in this area.

Jasper, though, evidently had no problem with smelling them. He tensed suddenly and just as suddenly relaxed again at the soft knock on the door.

"Well, fuck," he muttered, reaching for the handle.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: FFnet continues to act up. Some of you got review replies, some of you didn't... and who knows if/and/or when you'll actually see THIS chapter. *sigh* At any rate, I READ all your reviews, and appreciated every one of them!

Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_Jasper put a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and walked over to the door for a moment before returning to her side and pulling her off the bed to stand next to him. "We have company," he whispered in her ear. _

_"Mstislav?" Bella whispered, her eyes getting big. _

_"What?" he said, startled into saying it out loud. "No," he then said in a whisper, "why would you say that? What makes you think...?" _

_"Well, this is about the time he usually shows up at our hotels," she answered, aggravated. _

_Jasper snorted. "True, but no - this is a vampire. I can feel them. There are two of them..." _

_"Maria's?" _

_"I can't tell… They're cautious, whoever they are," he paused, glancing at the window, where sunlight was filtering around the edges of the drapes, "and foolish, coming here in broad daylight." His brow furrowed. "They're in the hotel now…coming up the stairs." He crossed to the door again, pulling Bella with him. "Get ready," he mouthed. _

_She nodded, trying to keep her nerves under control along with controlling her urge to surround Jasper with her shield. She could hear the cautious steps in the hallway now – two sets – although she couldn't smell them yet. She silently cursed her apparent vampiric weakness in this area. _

_Jasper, though, evidently had no problem with smelling them. He tensed suddenly and just as suddenly relaxed again at the soft knock on the door. _

_"Well, fuck," he muttered, reaching for the handle._

Chapter 13

"Peter," Jasper said, opening the door to reveal Peter standing there in the hall, Charlotte behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Charlotte made me come," Peter mumbled before flinching when the little blond smacked his shoulder. "I thought you might be needin' some help," he quickly amended.

"You ran all the way down here in two days?" Jasper asked. "That _is_ impressive, Peter. Hard for me to believe, too."

"Drove," Peter continued to mumble. No mean feat for a vampire, Bella thought to herself as she watched the scene unfold in front of her in fascination.

"What's that?" Jasper asked, stepping back to let the two vampires enter the room. Peter and Charlotte cautiously looked around them and pulled the hoods of their sweatshirts down as they crossed the threshold. Charlotte peeked out from behind Peter and smiled at Bella while raising her hand in a tentative wave. Bella waved back, not sure how she felt about their sudden appearance. "Couldn't hear you, Peter."

"We _drove_," Peter said a little louder, glaring at Jasper. Jasper looked at him for a moment and then let out a snort. Crossing to the balcony, he parted the drapes just far enough to look out the sliding glass doors.

"Nice Prius, Peter. It grew on you, I take it? You obviously made pretty good time in it. I'm kinda surprised – they're not known for their speed." Jasper turned back to look at the other vampire, his eyebrow quirked, clearly waiting for an answer.

Peter glanced down at his mate, who had moved around to his side after the door had shut behind them. "Well..." he looked embarrassed, but clearly Jasper wasn't going to let him off the hook. Peter rolled his eyes but finally continued. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Charlotte here saw a commercial for them on the television. Said they were e-lec-tric." He pronounced the word funny. It was so old-fashioned that Bella had to stifle a laugh. Peter ignored her and continued.

"So when I–" he winced when Charlotte smacked him again. "When _we_ decided to come down here to help you, just seemed to make sense to go get the car back and drive it." He looked at Jasper, as if seeking something. "I mean, if it's electric, that means it shouldn't use gas, right? So we wouldn't have to stop."

Jasper looked at him in disbelief and Peter broke eye contact. "You didn't notice the gas tank, Peter, or the smell of _gas_?"

"Yeah, well, I just figured it needed _some_ gas, for somethin' or other. Like they need oil, ya know? Didn't know the fucker was going to have to be filled up every 400 miles. By the time I figured that out, we were in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming, I was used to driving it, and it didn't make sense to change."

"But it made plenty of sense to park a stolen vehicle here at my hotel and cross the parking lot in the sunlight..."

"I switched _plates_, Jasper," Peter said defensively, "up in Amarillo last night. Came across another little red car just like it. So I switched the plates out. Now it looks like a Texas car. It'd take forever for them to trace it down now."

Jasper sighed and closed his eyes. "It will take them about 60 seconds, Peter. They're probably running the plates on every red Prius they see. They've got _computers_ now, Peter. They don't even have to get on the phone. _Jesus_… And you couldn't at least _call_ first, give me some warning you were coming..? I know you have a phone – I called you on it before we came to Butte."

Peter looked taken aback. "I'm sorry, Jasper," he said. "I didn't know... Hell, I don't even understand half of what you just said. And the phone stopped working. I don't know why. The car…well, we'll go dump it right now." He turned to leave the room.

"_No_!" Jasper shouted. "No," he repeated more quietly. "Not now. Don't go back out right now. In this town, a stolen Prius is probably the least of their worries. We can ditch it later. Now, why the hell are you here, Peter? Not that I don't appreciate your wanting to 'help' me, but what brought about your change of heart?"

Peter glanced at Charlotte again. "Well...after you left, Charlotte here gave me hell for chasing you and Bella off." He looked embarrassed. "Said I'd been downright rude to you both, especially to Bella." Peter glanced at Bella and she realized he really _did_ look embarrassed. "And she was right. I'd been an ass. But you scare me, Jasper. You always have, you know…" he trailed off. "You always have. And now, you've got _her_ with you. _Bella_," he corrected himself when Jasper glared at him. "You could just... I can't risk Charlotte. I just can't. I got her away once before, when you let us go... But don't you _see_, Jasper? It was _your_ decision. _You_ let me have her. _You _let us have our freedom. What if you change your mind? I don't think I could save her from you, and I sure as hell know I couldn't get her away from both of you together. So when you show up, askin' for help..."

"I never asked for your help, Peter," Jasper said quietly.

"I know you didn't, but we both know why you were there, Jasper. When you showed up, I just couldn't risk it. I couldn't risk _Charlotte_. But then she set me right, and here we are. Gonna help you, if you want us to still."

Jasper sighed and closed his eyes. "I'd never hurt Charlotte, Peter, _or_ you. You should know that. We were together almost ten years before Alice found me. You came back to _save_ me from Maria – you risked Charlotte then. You risked a _hell_ of a lot more then. Don't you think that means something to me still, even today? Don't you think I've changed?"

Peter looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well...I knew you were good, Jasper. I knew there was still something of the human in there. When you let me and Charlotte go, I knew you were worth saving too. It was the only way I…_we…_could thank you – by coming back to get you. And you _have_ changed, Jasper. More than any other vampire I've ever known. But what happened over there in Europe…well, that sounded a lot like the Jasper I woke up to all those years ago. _Maria_'s Jasper. And if you were changed back to _that_…combined with somebody else _just_ as powerful...and you'd already taken down the _Volturi_…well, I didn't wanna be near that. I didn't want Charlotte near that. I didn't want to have _anything_ to do with that." He sighed and looked down at the little blond vampire beside him, who was smiling encouragingly up at him.

"But Charlotte told me she liked Bella and didn't think Bella could be any kind of bad, and she made me feel like a real fool for thinking you coulda gone back to being Maria's Jasper."

Bella instantly felt guilty hearing Peter repeat the nice things Charlotte had said about her, remembering quite clearly her own feelings for the other vampire. Jasper felt her and knew exactly where the feelings were coming from. He glanced in her direction, raising an eyebrow in silent question, but Bella wouldn't meet his eyes.

"So...we came down here, poked around a bit, drove around with the windows cracked a bit, and managed to catch your scent. We _followed_ you here. So, wanna tell me what you've found out so far, Jasper?"

"I've found out that my oldest friend is a damn fool," Jasper said, but there was no sting in his words and he was smiling. "And he appears to have lost his mind since I last saw him. Driving an e-lec-tric car," Jasper mimicked Peter's pronunciation, and this time Bella _did_ laugh, "and riding around in the middle of the _day_, in the _sunlight_, with the windows _rolled down_. I'm not really sure how much use you're going to be to me, Peter!"

Peter looked embarrassed. "I only did that because I was in a hurry! I didn't know what might have happened since I saw you last and I was wanting to get to you quick in case something bad had happened."

Jasper sat down on the bed and waved towards the two chairs in the room. "Sit, sit. No, nothing bad has happened to me."

Peter and Charlotte cautiously sat in the chairs and Bella rejoined Jasper, sitting beside him on the bed. Jasper relayed what had happened since their arrival in Laredo, up to the moment of Peter and Charlotte's arrival.

"So...you think it's smart of you to go meeting her tonight?" Peter asked.

Jasper snorted. "I meet her tonight or I'm going home."

"You came all this way and you're willing to just turn around and leave?"

"Well, I don't know what the hell she wants me here for, Peter. How many times do I have to say that? I'm not wasting any more time on her. Carlisle really just wanted to make sure she wasn't building an army, and I've done that. She's _not_."

Peter was shaking his head. "Well, I don't know why you're playing errand boy for Carlisle..."

"It ain't like that, Peter."

"Well, the Jasper _I_ knew wasn't nobody's errand boy..."

"I ain't his errand boy! Something like this is _not_ anything Carlisle needs to be dealing with firsthand. Of course I came down here _for_ him. We're a _family_, Peter. Shit like this is my contribution to the family's well being and safety."

Peter snorted. "Well, considering what happened the _last_ time you felt your _family's_ well-being and safety was threatened, I'm surprised Maria contacted you at all."

"I don't think she knows what happened over there. Oh, she knows the Volturi are gone, of course, but she never said nothing about knowing I – or any of the Cullen's – had a hand in it."

"Bullshit, Jasper. She knows. She ain't stupid. She's a lot more connected than Charlotte and me, and _we_ knew you were knee deep in the shit that happened over there. She's lying to you."

"It didn't feel like she was lying–"

"Oh, come _on_, Jasper. Don't be a fool. If anybody could lie to you, it would be Maria. She probably knows you – knows what you're capable of – more than anybody else on God's green earth."

Jasper considered Peter's words for a moment and then shook his head. "Maybe. Maybe. It doesn't matter one way or the other right now – I still don't know what the hell the bitch wants, and if I don't find out tonight, I'm going home."

"So...you came all the way down here, preaching responsibility and all that bullshit, and you'll just leave without finding out shit? Hell, Jasper, what if she _is_ planning on 'taking over the world', or whatever other bullshit you were slinging around up in Butte? It's not like she doesn't have a history with that kind of shit, ya know?"

"I _know_ Peter, and that's what brought me down here to begin with. But I don't think she is. She said she wasn't…she didn't feel like she was...I don't know, she's _different_, Peter."

"Different how?" Peter asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Different... I can't exactly explain it. Calmer?"

Peter snorted. "She was always cool as a cucumber, Jasper. She had _you_ to take care of shit. She could afford to be cool."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't so calm with _me_ back then, Peter," Jasper retorted, his eyes sliding to Bella and away. "I'm telling ya, she's different."

"Well...all right. We'll see. You're in charge, Jasper."

"Yes, I am."

"So...you're going to meet her tonight. You takin' Bella with ya? 'Cuz the little charade you got going is probably a good idea, but it ain't gonna work if you keep showing up with her in tow, you know? Maria knows better than that – Jasper Whitlock doesn't bring his whores to important meetings. She's probably suspicious you had her with you yesterday."

"I don't know... She seemed like she wanted to keep Bella. She seemed a _lot_more interested in Bella than in me, actually..."

Peter laughed. "I'm sure she did. If she's really got six vamps with her, all male, she's probably wanting something like Bella to keep them satisfied."

Jasper growled.

"Oh, shut it, Jasper. You know I'm right. And I'm not talking about _your_ Bella. I'm talking about the Bella you're wantin' _Maria_ to see. That's what you get for takin' her with you..."

"Yeah, well, _you_ know I don't have much choice."

"I know it, Jasper. But having a mate, coming here with a new mate... It was a damn fool move. You talk about _me…w_ell, take a look at yourself! I _know_ you didn't have a choice. It's a weakness – one she'll be sure to exploit if she finds out. Hell, even if it doesn't help her out in any way, she'd do her damndest to mess things up for you, just because. Just to show you who's boss."

"She's not my fuckin' boss anymore. And you're assuming she'll find out."

"Oh, she'll find out all right, if you're here long enough – if it serves her _purposes_ to keep you here long enough. She's already dangling you along for some reason – all that bullshit last night, now you calling a meeting for tonight... She's _playing_ you."

Jasper slumped. "I know it, Peter, but I gotta play if I wanna find out what she's doing. And I _do_ wanna know, even though I'd just as soon not have anything to do with her. It's not just about an army. _Carlisle_ wants to know what she's up to. _I_ want to know what she's up to. I don't think she's just down here living the life of a drug lord's señorita because she likes pretty things. That's not her. She's doin' something... I just don't know _what_. And I'm gonna find out."

"Right. Well, so let's figure some shit out here – and none of this bullshit about 'I'm going home if she doesn't talk to me tonight'. _You_'re in charge. If she doesn't talk…well, we'll figure it out. And we'll work something out with Bella, too. I don't think she should be going with you tonight." Peter eyed Bella carefully, as if she were a bomb about to go off.

Jasper turned to look at her thoughtfully. "No, you're right – she shouldn't. But she isn't gonna like it."

"She doesn't _have_ to like it."

Bella had been caught up in listening to Jasper's voice, enjoying the way that he'd slipped further and further into the speech patterns of a long ago time in his life. She'd just about decided that maybe having Peter around was worth it, if just for that reason, when she realized they were talking about her like she wasn't sitting right there.

"What? Wait a minute..." She glared at Peter and then turned to Jasper. "You're not leaving me behind while you go talk to that...that..._bitch_! You _need_ me, Jasper. What if she tries something?"

Jasper and Peter both laughed. "Babe, she isn't going to be able to hurt me. She can't try anything I won't see coming. I'm stronger than her… a better fighter by far. Always have been. It was never a question of physical strength or fear that kept me tied to her."

Bella felt herself getting upset. She tried not to show it, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the two other vampires. "I _know_ that, Jasper. But you don't know – she might have a vampire with powers working for her. You could be walking into a trap..."

"I told you, Bella," Jasper explained, his voice taking on the patience of a parent dealing with a child. "She doesn't _like_to have vampires with powers working for her–"

"She liked _you_ well enough!" Bella spat back, her voice rising as she forgot about behaving in front of company. "And you keep _saying_ she's different now..."

"Not _that_ different," Jasper said, his voice staying even. Peter and Charlotte were watching them argue back and forth, a look of surprise on their faces. Jasper knew that the two vampires were expecting him to explode in anger – the old Jasper..._Maria_'s Jasper…the only Jasper they really knew, would have. But he'd left that Jasper behind a long time ago. "Bella, you gotta stay here. It's the best plan."

"You're just saying that because _he_ came up with the idea." Bella glared at Peter. "What happened to 'just you and me'? Was all that just bullshit you were throwing around, trying to…to…lure me in or something?"

"'Lure you in'?" Jasper asked in disbelief. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean? I didn't 'lure' you anywhere, Bella!"

"Well, I thought we were supposed to be a _team_," she almost wailed.

"We _are_ a team, Bella," Jasper said, trying to calm her down, which was impossible with her shield now up. "But sometimes you gotta trust me to know what's best in a situation–"

"I _do_, but I think you're _wrong_ in this case!" Bella insisted stubbornly.

"Um, Jasper?" Peter interrupted tentatively. "Could I, um, have a word with you for a minute? Out in the hall? Before this conversation goes _totally_ south?"

Jasper sighed. "Bella? Do you mind?"

Bella glared at him, then Peter. "By all means. Go have your little 'boy talk'. I'm not going anywhere. At least not right _now_," she amended, in case Jasper took her words as acquiescence to his wishes.

"Riiiight..." Jasper said, standing up and heading to the door. "Peter?"

The two of them exited into the hall, leaving Bella alone with Charlotte. Bella glanced at the little blond for a moment, then crossed quickly to the door and put her ear to it.

"You shouldn't do that," Charlotte admonished Bella.

Bella rolled her eyes and ignored the other vampire. It was an almost futile attempt at eavesdropping on her part anyway – she couldn't hear more than the occasional word. Jasper and Peter must have moved to the end of the hall outside and were keeping their voices so low as to be almost silent.

"You just need to..." Peter said.

"We're not like that, Peter. I told you that..."

"Well, now might be a good time to..."

"...unless absolutely..."

"...say that _this_ definitely counts as..."

"...not going to like..."

"...really matter? What's more important than her safety?" Peter's voice grew louder and more insistent.

Jasper's last response was a frustrated growl.

"You _know_ I'm right, Jasper," Peter said as they approached the room again. Bella quickly moved back to the bed, but not before she heard Jasper growl again.

The door opened and Jasper and Peter re-entered the room, both vampires keeping their faces deliberately blank.

"Well, did you figure it all out? Solve the problems of the world?" Bella asked Jasper sarcastically.

Jasper glanced at Peter, who stared back at him.

"Bella, could I speak to you for a moment? Alone?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Really? You don't want to just lay it out here? Don't want to fight in front of your friends? Afraid you'll lose face?" Once more she knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn't seem to rein in her tongue. These friends of Jasper's seemed to bring out the worst in her. She felt like she was channeling her inner Rosalie. In fact, Rose might actually be proud of her right now if she could see her... Too bad Rose couldn't have Alice's power just for a minute. Maybe Alice was relaying all of this to her right now...

"Bella!" Jasper said sharply. "_Now_! In the bathroom, please."

Bella thought briefly about giving him the finger and turning her back on all of them, but then thought again. She'd promised Jasper before they'd left that she'd listen to him and do what he said, no questions asked. She was doing a damn poor job of remembering her promise. Her shield dropped as a wave of embarrassment and shame washed over her. Jasper nodded in acknowledgment.

"Of course, Jasper," she said. A look of surprise crossed Peter's face and Jasper looked at him pointedly, as if to say, "See?"

Bella followed Jasper into the bathroom and he shut the door behind them. "Do you want me to run the water?" he asked.

She looked at him for a moment, puzzled at the question.

"To mask our conversation?" he clarified gently. "In case they decide to listen at the door?"

If she'd been human still, Bella would have flushed bright red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, looking down and refusing to meet his eyes.

He reached down and tipped her chin up until she made eye contact with him. "It's not a nice habit, Bella. Not between friends."

"I just wanted to know what Peter was saying..."

"That's pretty clear, Bella – just as clear as him wanting to say something without _you_ hearing. You gotta learn some vampire manners, babe, if we're gonna to be living with other people."

"I know," she whispered. "It's just–"

"_Difficult_," he finished for her. "Believe me, I know. If _anybody_ knows and can sympathize with you, Bella, it's me. You shoulda seen me when Alice and I first joined the Cullens." Jasper laughed. "I'm surprised they kept me. I was so..._wild_. I think the only reason they _did_ keep me around is because they all loved Alice so much…and we were a package deal."

"I want to go with you tonight, Jasper. I don't want to be left behind here."

"I know, babe," Jasper said, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. "I know. It's gonna be rough, but I won't be that far away. And I'll not be gone that long. I promise."

"You won't go back over there if she asks you?"

"_No_," Jasper said. "I _promise_. And we'll call Alice before I leave and have her run through some scenarios. Besides, you know she would have called already if she saw _anything_ wrong with any of this, right? Without you with me tonight, she'll have a clear shot of what's going on."

"I know. I'm just _scared_," Bella admitted.

"I am too," Jasper said. "Believe me, I am too."

"All that stuff Peter said...about what Maria would do if she knew we were mates...is that true?"

Jasper hesitated before answering. "Yes," he finally said, his whisper almost silent. "It is. Maria is, at heart, a sadist, Bella. She enjoys inflicting pain – physical, emotional, mental. She might _not_ go out of her way to hurt me or waste unnecessary energy to do so, especially since she doesn't like pain herself and she knows my retaliation would be ten times worse than anything she could do to me. But if the opportunity fell into her lap, so-to-speak, she would _definitely_ seize it. I wouldn't trust her with the knowledge that you are my mate, not for a minute."

"Peter and Charlotte will stay here with me?" Bella asked.

"Yes. They'll protect you." Jasper regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth. No matter how comforting they were to him, he knew Bella would hardly agree with him on that front.

Bella snorted. "I hardly think I need protecting, Jasper," she said, rolling her eyes. "I was just wondering if I need to prepare myself for a night of card games while we wait for you."

Jasper laughed. They were all right again.

Bella turned to open the door but then stopped and turned back. "Jasper? What would you have done if I'd not agreed to stay?" she asked, curious.

"Reminded you of your promise to me back in Alaska."

Bella nodded. "All right... But what if I'd gone all 'Crazy Bella' on you – or worse, waited until you left and then followed you?"

Jasper narrowed his eyes at her, probing her emotions to see if there was _any_ intention of acting out on the idea she was talking about. Finding none, he relaxed but didn't answer.

"Jasper?" she prompted.

"I trust you, Bella. If you say you're not going to follow me, I believe you," he said, nodding his head once. "We _are_ a team, Bella. We just need to always _remember_ that."

"Good. You trust me…and I trust you. That's all we need."

"That's all we need," Jasper agreed, pulling her close and kissing her hard before opening the door and joining Peter and Charlotte back in the hotel room.


	14. Chapter 14

Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_"Peter and Charlotte will stay here with me?" Bella asked. _

_"Yes. They'll protect you." Jasper regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth. No matter how comforting they were to him, he knew Bella would hardly agree with him on that front. _

_Bella snorted. "I hardly think I need protecting, Jasper," she said, rolling her eyes. "I was just wondering if I need to prepare myself for a night of card games while we wait for you."_

Jasper laughed. They were all right again. 

_Bella turned to open the door but then stopped and turned back. "Jasper? What would you have done if I'd not agreed to stay?" she asked, curious. _

_"Reminded you of your promise to me back in Alaska." _

_Bella nodded. "All right... But what if I'd gone all 'Crazy Bella' on you – or worse, waited until you left and then followed you?" _

_Jasper narrowed his eyes at her, probing her emotions to see if there was any intention of acting out on the idea she was talking about. Finding none, he relaxed but didn't answer. _

_"Jasper?" she prompted. _

_"I trust you, Bella. If you say you're not going to follow me, I believe you," he said, nodding his head once. "We are a team, Bella. We just need to always remember that." _

_"Good. You trust me…and I trust you. That's all we need." _

_"That's all we need," Jasper agreed, pulling her close and kissing her hard before opening the door and joining Peter and Charlotte back in the hotel room._

Chapter 14

Peter, Bella, and Charlotte all stared at each other silently for several minutes after Jasper had taken off into the night.

"So..." Peter began. "Should I, uh, should I take you out to hunt or anything?"

"No, thank you," Bella said, trying to remain polite and not be insulted by his question. "I'm perfectly capable of hunting by myself when I need to."

"Oh, 'course you are," Peter hastened to reassure her. "I didn't mean any disrespect, Miss Bella. I just didn't know how often you needed to hunt, you being still young and an animal drinker and this being sort of a stressful situation and all... I didn't mean nothing bad by the question."

"That's all right. No offense taken, Peter. We _do_ need to hunt more when we're stressed, especially when we're surrounded by so many humans... Is it not the same for, um, human drinkers?"

"Um, a little bit, maybe. We don't have to feed nearly as often as...Carlisle's coven members. We – Charlotte and I at least – feed once a month or so, unless we're, uh…well, stressed or active. We fed on the way down here, though, not knowing what we'd run into when we got here, so we're probably good for at least a week if it comes down to a fight or something like that."

"Ah...well, Jasper and I just fed this morning. And we fed the night before, just before we went down there to Maria's. Normally we only eat once a week or so. I guess I never knew how much other vampires needed to eat. The only time I'd been around human drinkers for any time was in Volterra. I was there with Edward and Alice on St. Marcus' Day several years ago when I was still human. They had a woman named Heidi that led, like, a tour group or something into their feeding chamber..." Bella's words faded away as she remembered the screams coming from the feeding chamber that day long ago. They had burned into her memory and carried over into her knew life.

Peter snorted. "Those pansies," he said. "We've heard of their little 'celebration' day. Damn wops."

"I don't think they were actually Italian, were they?" Bella asked.

Peter looked taken aback for a moment. "No, I don't suppose they were. Well, they were _still_ pansies. Couldn't be bothered to go out and get their own damn meals..."

"Is that how they got _all_ their meals?" Bella asked, realizing she might finally have a source that was willing to answer some of her questions – questions she wasn't comfortable asking the Cullens _or_ Jasper. Her curiosity about human feeders always made her feel slightly guilty around the Cullens and she hated reminding Jasper about something he'd struggled to give up. "You'd think it would have raised suspicions…you know, if people kept disappearing on tours of Volterra. I mean, wasn't that the point of St. Marcus' Day to begin with - that there were supposedly _no_ vampires in the town? Edward said it was probably the _safest_town to live in – at least for the humans."

"To live in, yes," Peter said, nodding to himself. "But to take a tour on that particular festival day? Probably not. My impression was that it was a rather "symbolic" hunt for the Volturi on that day. They would lure foreigners into their keep and feed on them."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess. So, they only ate once a year?" Bella asked.

Charlotte giggled and Peter snorted in laughter. "No, are you crazy? I mean, I suppose it would be possible, but no, they didn't. The feeding is always quite good in Volterra, by my understanding - regular meals, delivered to their feeding chamber…" Peter snorted again. "Yeah, they lived the good life in Volterra, I'll give them that - much better than we ever had under Maria, and she was always sure the blood flowed freely, at least to her 'preferred' soldiers."

"But how...?" Bella asked. "How could that many vampires be in one place and go unnoticed?"

Peter shook his head. "No idea. Not too long ago – a couple centuries or so – I'd say they just had a good tie-in with the slave trade. There's always a trade in humans, Miss Bella, even amongst humans themselves. The Volturi obviously had their ways. Aro and company were powerful – _very_ powerful – even in their ties to the human world." Peter snorted. "Ties that they condemned in anyone else. Damn hypocritical wops…"

Silence descended again as Bella considered Peter's words. There was something in what he'd said...some _idea_ fluttering in her head...too unformed for even _her_ vampire brain to grab on to. It didn't help matters that Jasper had been gone less than forty-five minutes and she already felt like crawling out of her skin.

"How long…?" she started to ask.

"Nervous already?" Peter asked, smirking a little.

"No," she snapped.

"Don't lie," he said. "It doesn't change anything."

"All right, yes, yes I am. Happy?"

"Not particularly. It'll be all right. He'll be back before sunrise. You should be able to control yourself for that long, even as young as you are, Miss Bella. He's expecting that from you."

"I know that," Bella snapped again. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here," she bounced on the bed for emphasis, "just like he asked me to."

"Good girl."

Bella couldn't decide if she'd rather flip him off or roll her eyes. She finally settled on ignoring him and turned to Charlotte instead. "So...did you bring any playing cards?"

Charlotte's eyes lit up. "I did! Would you like to play something?"

"Um...I don't know too many card games," Bella told her. "But Jasper taught me how to play poker."

"Of course he did," Peter muttered. "All right, poker it is. Any preference?"

"Uh...the only kind I know is Five Card Stud."

"Figures. It always _was_ his favorite. All right, then. Charlotte, darlin', get those cards out. Miss Bella, got any money on you?"

"No."

"That's all right, we'll play with toothpicks. We can settle up with cash money later."

"Okay..." Bella said cautiously. "Jasper and I never played for money-"

"Well, I ain't playing for kisses. Your mate would kill me. It's gonna have to be for money between us, darlin'," Peter drawled, shuffling the cards that Charlotte had produced from _somewhere_. A box of toothpicks had appeared on the table as well. Charlotte dragged the table over so that Bella could sit on the bed and she and Peter could sit on the chairs, Peter never faltering in his card shuffling as he shifted across the room with the table.

~CD~CD~CD~

Four hours and several hundred dollars later, Bella threw her final hand down. "I'm done," she announced.

"You mean you fold," Peter corrected her, not looking up from his own hand.

"No. I mean I'm done. I don't want to play anymore. I suck. I don't even know where I'm going to get the money to pay you what I've already lost."

"Yeah, you definitely don't have a poker face. And I'll take a rain check on the money – I know Jasper'll be good for it. Maybe you can get me a new phone since mine don't work anymore."

Bella wondered if Peter had been using a phone stolen from one of his victims. If he had, it had probably finally been turned off. If that was the case, he'd probably unintentionally led police or investigators on a merry chase first, thinking they were tracking the original owner, who'd gone missing. Or maybe the battery just died. Or maybe he didn't realize you had to pay money for more minutes. The possibilities were endless…and mind-boggling.

She shook her head, thinking how confusing the modern world must seem to any older vampire that bothered trying to figure it out. Carlisle had said that even Stefan and Vladimir had decided to re-think their desire to re-establish themselves as any sort of rulers of human subjects, as they had been so long ago. It had taken some fast-talking by Richard in the wake of the Volturi's destruction, but he'd finally convinced them of the very real dangers of modern day weapons and their possible effects on vampires. Deciding that napalm and bunker-busting bombs were not something they were ready to handle, they'd decided instead to fall back and re-group once more. Carlisle also said that while Richard might have the know-how to do some serious 'empire building', he apparently lacked any desire to do so. He appeared to be content living in the forests that he'd loved so much before his change. He was still living with Stefan and Vladimir, helping them re-build their castle and happy to do their bidding – to an extent – but he was making no suggestions to them on how they might go about becoming 'modern day despots', as Emmett had put it. Ranger Rick, indeed.

Bella watched as Peter and Charlotte drifted from poker into playing some card game she didn't recognize. Her mind wasn't really on it – rather, it was on Jasper and what might be going on out there in the desert with Maria. Alice hadn't called at all since he'd left, so she took that to mean there was nothing worth reporting. Maybe. But what if Alice couldn't see _anything_? What if Maria was _tricking_ her visions?

Bella started to feel a bit panicked. Peter had pointed out to Jasper that, in his opinion, Maria would be more than capable of 'fooling' him and his empathic abilities. Well, she knew Alice, too, didn't she? What if...what if while she was visiting all those years ago, she'd figured out how to get around Alice as well? Victoria had done it – Bella remembered _that_ much – and Victoria had not had anything but secondhand knowledge from Laurent about Alice's abilities. What if...what if Maria fooled them _all_? What if Jasper was walking into a trap?

She was at the door with her hand on the knob before she realized she'd even moved. Peter was at her side, though, before she could open it. He put his hand over hers on the knob but didn't attempt to move it.

"Come on, Miss Bella," he said softly. "Come sit back down. You don't want to be doing that..."

"What if…what if he walked into a trap, Peter?" She didn't move.

"Now, Miss Bella," Peter tightened his hand on hers a little bit. "Jasper can handle himself just fine. Maria ain't gonna be able to trap him. That's just your pull to him bothering you. Come on, now, come sit back down..."

"I don't..."

"You promised him, Miss Bella. You promised him you'd stay here and wait for him," Peter said, his voice a little firmer but still not enough to panic her or put her on the defensive.

Bella hesitated. She _had_ promised. She'd promised back in Alaska that she'd listen to him and do what he told her to. She'd promised the same thing over and over again during the trip. She'd promised him right before he left that she'd stay here. But...he was in _trouble_, she just _knew_ it, call from Alice be dammed. But...she'd _promised_.

She looked at the door, then down at their hands on the doorknob. She then looked at Peter, who was keeping his face carefully neutral. She glanced back at Charlotte, who was looking worried.

"You'd do more harm than good going after him right now, Bella," Peter said, his voice stronger, more commanding. "You'd play right into her hands. Don't do that to him. Keep your promise. Come back and sit down."

Bella gave a sharp nod of her head. She'd stay. She wasn't sure if it was the _right_ decision...but Peter might be right too. What she was feeling might just be the pull of separation. They'd never been separated before, not like this – not by more than a mile or two. She just wasn't sure enough to make her break her promise to Jasper.

She crossed the room and sat back down on the bed before lying back on it with a sigh. Once he seemed sure that she wasn't going to go for the door again, Peter followed her and flung himself back down on his chair.

"Times like this I wish I could still drink whiskey," he said, commenting to nobody in particular, except maybe the dirt on the ceiling, which he'd seemed to have developed a fascination with. "I gotta say, Miss Bella, this whole thing'd be a damn sight easier if Jasper'd just man-up and tell you straight out to park your ass here and not move it instead of all the pussy-footing around the promise bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Bella snapped, sitting up and glaring at him. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounded like. The way you two are carrying on, the way he's mollycoddling you…it's downright foolish."

"I don't see how what goes on between Jasper and me is any of your business," Bella growled. "And I resent being called foolish."

Peter lifted his head to look at her. "It's my business because I'm here now. Whatever happens from here on out is part of my business."

"Yeah, well you don't have to be here. You can just…just…take your stupid Prius and go back to Butte."

"Can't do that. I told Jasper I'd help and I'm _gonna_ help. I keep my promises, too."

"Well, maybe you can start helping by shutting up about our private life. And he's hardly 'mollycoddling' me, whatever the hell _that_ means. We're equals – he told me to listen to him and do what he says because he knows more than me about how to handle Maria. And I trust his judgment, so I'm staying right here like I promised." She nodded, pleased with her explanation – ignoring the fact that a few moments earlier she'd been ready to forget her promise and take off out the door after Jasper.

Peter snorted. "You're hardly 'equals', whatever else you might be, Miss Bella. Jasper is an experienced soldier. And before now, I've never known him to make a mistake."

"And you're saying he's making one now?" Bella snapped, although a little shiver of unease ran through her. Had they missed something, something that Peter had noticed? Had Jasper made some sort of error?

"I'm saying he shouldn't have come here, bringing you along. I know he didn't have a choice. Believe me, I know. You're mates. _New_ mates. A separation of that kind ain't possible. So he should have sent somebody else instead. _Carlisle_ should have sent somebody else."

Bella snorted, thinking about Emmett being here now instead of them. "Who, Peter? Who could he have sent? _You_? You didn't even want to come _with_ Jasper, much less _instead_ of Jasper. And Maria specifically asked for Jasper. We know all about me being a weakness in this equation and we're doing the best we can to work around it."

"You're still a loose wire," Peter said, digging his heels in the conversation. "He shoulda _made _you stay here – for the safety of _all_ of us. I don't care _how_ much he 'loves' and 'respects' you." Peter's voice was a perfect imitation of Jasper's when he spoke.

"Jasper treats me with 'love' and 'respect' because that's the kind of man he is. He can't _make_ me do anything, Peter. Welcome to the 21st century." Bella glanced pointedly at Charlotte. It seemed to her like Peter was just looking for a fight…and she was in a bad enough mood now to give it to him – anything to kill time and distract her.

Peter snorted. "He can _make_ you do any damn thing he wants to, Bella. _Welcome_ to being a vampire."

"I'd like to see him try," she muttered.

"Believe me," Peter said with a snort again. "I would too. And the sooner, the better."

"You know, Peter, I think I liked you a lot better back when you were afraid of me," Bella snapped. "What happened to that?"

"Yeah, well, Jasper assured me that your shield wasn't nothing that affected most people – it just worked against vampires' special powers. And I ain't got no special powers, Bella, aside from my strength and fighting ability. So, I'm not so worried."

"Yeah, well...I can fight too, you know?" Bella said, letting loose a little growl.

Peter laughed. "Forgive me if I'm not too worried about that, either, Miss Bella."

Charlotte was looking increasingly nervous, her eyes darting back and forth between the two arguing vampires. Bella, for her part, felt like the bickering was quickly moving away from 'friendly' territory and heading straight into 'seriously pissing her off' land.

"Well, maybe you _should_ be."

"I don't think Jasper'd like it much if he came back and found us tearing into each other."

Bella thought he was probably right, but she couldn't stand the smugness behind his statement. "Well, piss me off enough and maybe Jasper will be right there with me," she retorted.

"I doubt that."

"Well, you shouldn't."

Bella's cell phone rang, the shrill chime cutting through their argument and silencing it. Bella scooted back up the bed to the nightstand to grab the phone, never taking her eyes off Peter.

"Alice?" she said, hitting the talk button.

"You need to leave, Bella, right now," Alice said, her voice came through loud and clear. Peter's and Charlotte's eyes zeroed in on the phone in Bella's hand.

"You need to get out _now_! Just...go...all three of you! Quickly! Take Peter's car and drive south on Highway 83 before it's too late! Jasper will be waiting for you at Mile Marker 203. I'm calling him next. Just...go!" There was a click signaling the end of the call from the other end.

There was total silence in the hotel room for a moment and then Bella started moving. She and Jasper hadn't had time to unpack yet, so she grabbed both duffel bags and was at the door in an instant. Peter and Charlotte hadn't moved yet.

"Well?" she snapped. "Let's go!"

"What?" Peter asked. "She says hop and you just jump?"

"As a matter of fact, _yes_. Now, are you coming? Because if you're not, give me the fucking key."

Peter still didn't move, and with a frustrated growl, Bella was at his side, her hand darting out to rip the front pocket of his jeans open, grabbing the key to the Prius in the process. She was out the door before he could respond to the attack.

He caught up to her in the parking lot though.

"Let me drive," he growled, reaching out to snatch the key from her.

"Shotgun!" Bella yelled, shoving him out of the way as he opened the door. She flung herself over the center console and tossed her bags in the back seat in one move.

"I guess you better get in the back, Charlotte," Peter growled again, glaring into the car at Bella as he opened the back door for his mate. A couple seconds later he was in the car himself and they were pulling out of the parking lot, tires squealing as the Prius fishtailed its way onto the highway.

Bella was impressed in spite of herself.


	15. Chapter 15

**Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":**

_"Well?" Bella snapped. "Let's go!"_

"What?" Peter asked. "Alice says hop and you just jump?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Now, are you coming? Because if you're not, give me the fucking key."

_Peter still didn't move, and with a frustrated growl, Bella was at his side, her hand darting out to rip the front pocket of his jeans open, grabbing the key to the Prius in the process. She was out the door before he could respond to the attack. _

_He caught up to her in the parking lot though. _

_"Let me drive," he growled, reaching out to snatch the key from her. _

_"Shotgun!" Bella yelled, shoving him out of the way as he opened the door. She flung herself over the center console and tossed her bags in the back seat in one move. _

_"I guess you better get in the back, Charlotte," Peter growled again, glaring into the car at Bella as he opened the back door for his mate. A couple seconds later he was in the car himself and they were pulling out of the parking lot, tires squealing as the Prius fishtailed its way onto the highway. _

_Bella was impressed in spite of herself._

Chapter 15

"I don't see him!" Bella fretted. "What if something happened? What if-"

"Calm down! Dammit, Bella!" Peter snapped. "You're starting to tear off stuff that might be important! I don't know exactly how this damn car works, but I'm pretty sure you can't keep ripping shit out of the dashboard like that. Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, woman, you must be halfway to the engine by now! If something's happened to him, Alice would have called you already."

Bella pulled her hands back from the dashboard and began rubbing them together in an attempt to not damage the car any further. She noticed, though, that Peter seemed to be gripping the steering wheel hard enough to have done some damage of his own. She was surprised the airbag hadn't gone off. "I think the engine is in the back, Peter," she said instead.

"It is?" Peter looked surprised. "Like a Beetle?"

"Actually," Charlotte's voice came from the back seat, "the engine is up front and the _battery_ is in the back. The engine's really small, though, so Bella probably won't actually reach it any time soon. But she might hit some wires, and those might very well cause some damage to her or maybe even a fire, not to mention how it would-"

"_Thank_ _you_, Charlotte," Peter said, cutting off his mate's explanation of the Prius' inner workings. "And if you keep _that_ up," Peter said, glancing at Bella's hands, "you might just start a fire doing that, too. She said Mile Marker 203. We still got another 3 miles to go."

"Of course, of course," Bella said, peering out the window and into the darkness. A minute later, Peter started slowing down. "Oh…I see him!" Bella shouted, pointing needlessly at the figure standing on the side of the road in the distance. Peter slowed down further and in the back seat Charlotte scooted over and opened the door. Jasper jumped into the car and slammed the door behind him, the car never coming to a full stop.

Bella was in the back seat in an instant, straddling Jasper's lap and checking him over quickly, looking for signs of damage. Charlotte squeezed past them and took Bella's place up front.

"Bella, Bella, stop! I'm all right!" Jasper said, laughing and trying to grab her hands away from his torso, where they'd worked their way under his shirt.

"Oh my God, Jasper! Alice called us and said we had to get out _immediately_. She said she'd called you. She didn't tell us anything. Did she tell _you_ anything? What the hell is going on?" Bella stopped her frantic exam and looked at his face more closely. "Are you...are you _laughing_?" She slid off his lap and sat next to him on the seat, glaring at him.

"I'm not laughing," Jasper said, clearly lying, although he was doing his best to hide his laughter. "And yes, Alice called me and told me where to meet you."

Before Bella could ask any more questions, the car screeched to a stop as Peter slammed on the breaks and she was flung onto the floor.

"What the hell, Peter?" Jasper demanded, a little bit of anger leaking into his voice now as he helped Bella back up.

"I could ask you the same thing, Jasper," Peter said, turning in his seat to glare at Jasper. "Your ma...Alice called. Yelled something at Bella here about us needing to leave _immediately_, which lit a fire of fear under her little ass. She dragged us all out here to pick you up, screeching at me like a banshee and acting like the Hounds of Hell were breathing down our necks, and we find you on the side of the road _laughing_? Mind explaining all that to me? Because so far, this is the most fucked up campaign you've ever led. I'm starting to think maybe you don't know what the hell you're doing anymore, what with letting your woman run around half-cocked, going into situations with little or no plan, no back up, no-"

"Peter," Jasper cut off his friend's tirade. "Shut up. Alice called you and told you to leave because she saw things deteriorating to the point where one of you ripped the arm off the other and started beating the other senseless with it. And you might be a bit surprised to find out who was doing the destruction." His eyes slid to the destroyed dash on the passenger side before he looked back at Peter. "Then again, maybe you _wouldn't_be surprised."

"Hmph!" Bella snorted, not bothering to hide her smugness, and stuck her tongue out at Peter.

"And _you_, little girl," Jasper said, turning to look at Bella and grabbing her face, turning her to look at him. His voice was serious, but the laughter was still in his eyes. "_You_ need to control yourself better."

"I stayed in the room, just like I promised."

"_That_ you did. And I'm proud of you, especially if that pull was bothering you half as much as it was bothering me. Because it was pretty damn painful. But you surely didn't think I wanted you aggravating Peter so much, did you? Especially to the point where you'd be fighting?"

"You weren't specific about what I was supposed to _do_ while I was waiting," she argued.

"It was going to come to blows, Bella," Jasper said, completely serious now. "Don't deny it. Alice saw it clear as day. The only way to stop it was to get you out of the room-"

"If Alice is gonna start lying about her visions, Jasper, I don't see how we can possibly trust her," Peter interrupted.

"Don't get all pissy, Peter," Jasper said. "Alice didn't lie at all. All she said was that you needed to get out of there immediately – which you did. Your imaginations took care of the rest. And it shouldn't have come to that point _at all_," he said, looking between Bella and Peter. "I'd like to think that I could turn my back on you two for more than an hour without having to worry about what's going on."

Neither Peter nor Bella said anything, nor did they make eye contact with each other or Jasper. Bella's eyes were planted firmly on the floor of the car and Peter had turned his head a bit so he was looking out the back window. "I'd like to think that I could rely on your maturity and experience, Peter," Jasper said, still looking at his friend, "especially when dealing with a youngster."

"She ain't no newborn anymore!" Peter protested.

"You're right, she's not," Jasper said agreeably, stroking Bella's hair when she started to growl at Peter. "But she's still very young. And something I've learned since our days in Maria's Army, Peter, is that while their strength may wane after the first year, a newborn's…um, 'quirky' behavior can continue for a long, long time. It was another reason Maria had us destroy them after a year. Dealing with a large group of erratically behaving vampires would be a nightmare."

"You're telling me," Peter grumbled. "Dealing with just _one_ is a nightmare. My mother always said a teenage girl was nothing but a dingy mess."

Choosing to ignore Peter, Bella finally looked up at Jasper again. "Are you calling me crazy?" she asked, jerking her head away from his hand that had continued stroking her hair.

His arms shot out and wrapped around her, pulling her close to him as he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. "I'm calling you 'quirky', babe. You can't deny _that_... And you have every reason in the world to be _quirky_-"

"Yeah, well, 'quirky' could get us all in a world of hurt, Jasper," Peter interrupted again. "I just think you should buckle down. And to hell with your ideals! There ain't no place for that kind of shit right now. We gotta-"

"Peter?" Jasper cut him off again. "Shut up and drive. We're going back to the hotel and we'll talk when we get there."

"Yes, sir," Peter grumbled, turning around and starting the car again. He pulled onto the highway and did a U-turn, heading back into town.

Bella opened her mouth to say something, but Jasper placed a finger on her lips. "Shh…" he whispered. "When we get _back_. Let me hold you right now. I need to hold you..."

"I thought you said you were okay..." Bella said, worry for Jasper wiping all other concerns from her mind, at least temporarily.

"I am, Sweetheart, but I still wanna hold you and get that bitch out of my mind for just a little bit. Okay?"

"Absolutely okay," Bella whispered back, climbing back into his lap and wrapping herself around him, trying to get as close as she could in the back seat of Peter's Prius. Jasper sighed happily, holding her tightly and going back to stroking her hair.

~CD~CD~CD~

Ten minutes later, Peter was pulling back into the hotel parking lot. He turned off the car but made no move to get out.

"You're _sure_ it's safe to go back in there?" he asked, looking at Jasper in the rearview mirror.

"Yep, to the best of my knowledge – _and_ Alice's visions."

"Hmph!" Peter opened the door and climbed out, slamming it behind him.

Jasper fumbled around trying to get his wallet out without letting go of Bella, who was still sitting on his lap. Pulling it out, he removed his key card for the hotel room and held it over the front seat for Charlotte. She took it, her brow furrowed in an unspoken question.

"Go ahead and go up," Jasper told her. "We'll be up in a few minutes."

Charlotte nodded and climbed out of the car, closing the door gently in contrast to her mate's treatment of the car.

Bella turned her head to watch the pair cross the parking lot. "Are you sure they'll know how to use that key?" she asked.

"No need to get snarky, Bella," Jasper said as he nuzzled into her neck.

"I'm _not_ being snarky. It was a legitimate question, Jasper. They seem sort of stuck in the past..."

"Hmmm...just a bit. But they're not stupid, Bella. They're just...old fashioned. They'll figure it out. Or not. I don't really care right now." He pushed her jacket down her arms, pulling off one sleeve first and then the other, leaving her in her tank top. He slid one strap off her shoulder, following the path of it with his mouth, kissing and nipping his way down her shoulder before moving to the other side to repeat the motion.

"God, I missed you. It was only six hours, but it felt like a lifetime. I feel so..._disgusting_...after dealing with that creature," Jasper murmured. "I just want to bathe in you, Bella. I want to roll around in you until you're all I can remember."

Bella moaned, arching her back a little so her breasts were lifted towards him, luring him down towards them. His teeth grabbed the top of her tank top and pulled it down until both her breasts were exposed to him, his hands snapping the thin straps to allow her arms freedom to move around him.

"Jasper..." Bella whimpered.

Jasper growled and nuzzled his face between her breasts.

"Jasper..." she said a little louder, pulling back.

"Bella..." he protested.

"Jasper!" she said loudly, pulling his head up so he was looking her in the eyes. "I have a question."

"It can wait. We have time… It can wait," he said, trying to pull away from her. She kept a firm hold on him, though, making it so he couldn't get away without a struggle.

"You said when we got back to the hotel. We're here now."

"_Technically_..." Jasper said, flashing her the kind of grin that normally would have been able to distract her mid-feeding, "We're still in the parking lot…and I have a strong urge to defile the back seat of Peter's car before we go up to the room."

"Jasper!" Bella almost shouted. "I have some questions and I want some answers _now_. _Then_ we can see about defiling the Prius."

Jasper sighed and pulled back a little, pulling her tank top back up to cover her. Without the straps to help, it clung rather precariously, threatening to fall back down if she breathed too hard. Luckily, he thought, she didn't need to breathe. He had a feeling that whatever she wanted to discuss would be better done without her bare breasts bouncing around to distract him.

"All right, all right," he grumbled, making sure she knew it was good-natured grumbling. She gave him a half smile and leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips, letting him know the message was received. As she did so, her left breast popped out. With a groan, Jasper corrected her shirt again. "I don't know if I can carry on a conversation if _that_ keeps happening," he complained.

"Well, you're the one that ripped my shirt," Bella pointed out.

"Yeah, okay. So what's your question?"

Bella sat silently. He could tell she was trying to gather her thoughts, so he sat quietly too, running his hands gently up and down her arms and sending her feelings of calm in an effort to help her.

"What is Peter talking about?" she asked suddenly.

"Which time?" Jasper snorted. "Peter's spouted a lot of shit since he got here. You should ignore him. _I_ do…"

"You know what I'm talking about, Jasper. In the hall…again in the room before Alice called…and then just now in the car. I feel like I'm missing something." She looked at him and he could feel the hurt coming from her. "I feel like you're hiding something from me, Jasper. Like, there's something everybody else knows but me..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered the conversation a few days before with the Cullen women - a conversation that had felt strange at the time but now, in retrospect, might have been even odder than she'd realized.

"Is this about peeing on trees?" she whispered.

"Sort of..." Jasper began.

"It's not _just_ peeing on trees, is it?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, not really."

"I'm not going to like it, am I?"

"Um…well, I really don't know."

She looked at him, skepticism on her face.

"Honestly, Bella, I don't know what you'll think, but I'm guessing that no, you might not like it. Not at first…"

She took a deep, needless breath. "All right, tell me - what is Peter talking about? What does he want you to do that you're not doing? Because he keeps talking like you need to be forcing me to do something, like he expects you to be _making_ me obey you... And back in Seward, Rose and Esme...well, Rose acted like you were going to be some big asshole once we got down here." Bella was starting to get upset, her emotions changing from curiosity and a mild sense of hurt to annoyance and anger. "Because I gotta tell you, Jasper…I respect you and trust you, and I know I promised to listen and obey you on this trip – and I _have_ and I _will_ – but if you think for _one_ minute that I'm gonna let anybody – even _you_ – make me do _anything_, then we need to have a little chat about that!" Bella's voice was approaching the level of a healthy shriek, making Jasper glad it was three in the morning and that nobody was around to notice them.

"Bella," he said, his voice firm, taking on a depth she hadn't heard before. "Stop it, right _now_!"

She stopped, shocked at the tone of his voice. It wasn't angry or annoyed; it was...commanding, _compelling_ even. She stared at him, her eyes big.

Jasper rubbed _his_ eyes with the heels of his hands, a gesture so human in nature that Bella wondered if it was a holdover from his human life or a fake one he'd picked up along the way while living with the Cullens. She couldn't remember having seen him do it before.

"Bella, I haven't tried to make you do anything, have I?"

She shook her head, still not saying anything.

"I haven't let anything hurt you or done anything to hurt you, have I?"

She shook her head again.

"You trust me, right?"

She nodded.

"Okay. Okay, there's no good way to say this. I didn't think I'd actually have to _tell_ you. I mean, you were _Edward_'s mate...You've been mated _before_, which is just impossible as a vampire, but anyway... I just assumed you knew. It never occurred to me that you didn't and that I'd have to tell you. I don't want you to think that I've tricked you, Bella… Oh God, please believe me when I say that! I thought Edward would have at least told you...or maybe Carlisle would have explained things after you were turned-"

"Jasper," Bella whispered, all her anger gone, replaced now by confusion. "Just spit it out. I'm not mad at you, I trust you, you're my mate…but I'm scared. I don't like not knowing something. And this whole trip is scary enough without adding something else to it!"

"Right. Sweetheart, you were right about what Peter wants. He wants me to make you obey me."

Bella started to protest but Jasper hushed her. "No. He's right, Bella. I _could_ make you if I wanted to. We're mates. If necessary, I can make you obey me…make you do what I tell you to. You wouldn't have a choice."

"What?" she hissed in a horrified whisper. "What do you mean? What...are you serious? Rose _meant_ what she said?"

"Uh...I don't know _what_ Rose said," Jasper told her.

"She said I'd have to do what you told me to. I just thought she meant because you were in charge! Are you telling me-"

"As your mate, yes, you would have to obey me if I chose to...order you to-"

"That's..." Bella trailed off, horrified. "That's just _wrong_!"

Jasper sighed and leaned his head back on the seat. "Bella, it's not wrong _or_ right, it just _is_. It's the way we _are_. It's the way _vampires_ are!"

"But...you…well, not _you_, but a person..." Bella grunted in frustration. "If what you say is true, a person could make their mate do _horrible_ things, things like..." Bella shuddered, thinking about several things that she couldn't even put words to.

Jasper was shaking his head. "It doesn't work like _that_, Bella. You're my mate. I'm _your_ mate. I could never command you to do anything that wasn't in your best interest. It's really only a defensive type of thing - something that would come into play only in times of danger-"

"Like now," she whispered.

Jasper nodded. "Like now."

"How come nobody ever told me? How come Edward never said _anything_?" Bella asked.

Jasper shrugged. "I have no idea. It's not like it's something we talk about, you know? It's just something that _happens_. And in the Cullens' world, it's not something that happens very often. Carlisle is a big believer in 'free will' and 'embracing our human side', in case you hadn't noticed." Jasper smiled. "I think this is probably an aspect of vampire life that rather offends him, so he doesn't put much emphasis on it within his coven. Carlisle is an oddity, especially considering what time period he came from."

"Have you ever..._did_ you ever with Alice?" she asked quietly.

"Occasionally," Jasper said, nodding. "When we were still traveling alone, just the two of us. A couple times, we ran into trouble. It was something that came naturally to me, and she accepted it without question. After we joined the Cullens…well, it was never necessary again. I imagine, though, that since this whole mess started, Carlisle may have changed his stance on it. Although," he continued thoughtfully, "I didn't see any signs of it in Romania. But Rose sure seemed pretty quiet after we got back from vacation, didn't she? I don't think _that_ happened on its own. I'm betting Carlisle had some words with Emmett, who in turn had to speak to Rose."

"That explains her bad mood," Bella said, scrunching up her nose as she remembered Rose's words to her.

"Yeah, I can't imagine it went over well at all. Emmett didn't mention anything, though."

Bella was silent for a moment. "Do you think...do you think Edward ever did it to me?"

Jasper looked at her. "I have no way of knowing that, Bella. From your story, though, and how things ended...I imagine that, yes, there at the end, he _did_. After all, you've never seemed to be one to just follow along with your mouth shut. You're definitely a product of _your_ time period. But you did _exactly_ what Edward told you to do there at the end when you were trying to get away, so I'd say that, yes, he _did_."

"I was scared," she said quietly.

"Exactly. But he was trying to protect you."

"I didn't _feel_ anything-"

"You wouldn't, I imagine. Did you feel anything just now?"

"When?"

"Just now when you were getting hysterical and I told you to stop it."

"No. Did you...?"

"I _did_ it then."

"But I didn't _feel_ anything..."

"Bella," Jasper said patiently. "You _wouldn't_ feel anything. It's not like my power. It's not something your shield can block out. It's part of being a mated pair. It's part of the _bond_."

Bella thought about Jasper's words some more, trying to decide what she thought about the whole idea. Her initial reaction had been disbelief, then a bit of disgust and rebellion. The thought that anybody could _make_ her do something didn't sit well at all with her. But the way Jasper talked, he couldn't really make her do something stupid or unsafe or mean... It was just to keep her _safe_.

She still didn't like it, though. But apparently, it was too late now. That's what Esme had been referring to.

"Why did Esme think it would be different with you than it had been with Edward?" she asked, suddenly remembering Esme's words.

Jasper pursed his lips, considering her question. "Well, I suppose because I'm _older_. I'm more..._battle-oriented_, maybe? I'm not really sure, to be honest. I'm definitely more bossy than he ever would have been," Jasper said, smiling quickly at her. "You weren't a young starry-eyed girl when you fell in love with me. Unquestioning, quiet..." he trailed off, sorry all of a sudden for bringing up memories that were no doubt painful for her.

Bella snorted. "Yeah, instead I was a wild, crazy woman you found running around in the forest that tried to bite your head off!"

"Exactly. We're all about the strife, babe."

"Why does Peter give a shit about _any_ of this?"

"Well, Peter sees my _not_ ordering you to..._stay put_, or whatever the case may be, as a point of weakness. If I _order_ you to stay put, then you will, and it will be one less thing for him to worry about if he knows that you'll do what I tell you to do. With just a _promise_…well, you suddenly become an unknown in his equation."

"I thought this was all _your_ equation," Bella said petulantly.

"It _is_. That's why I don't give a good goddamn about what he thinks about this particular aspect of the situation. It could be, too, that he sees that I won't order you to do something as a sign that I actually _can't_ do it, meaning we're not really _mates_." Jasper added the last part slowly, as if just then realizing it.

"That's _stupid_. Like I even care what he thinks about our relationship," Bella said with a huff.

"You should cut him some slack, Bella. He came down here to help us."

"Yeah, because Charlotte _made_ him. What kind of help could he be when she had to _make_ him come here? Not very willing, I'm thinking..."

"Bella. I told you this before – Peter doesn't want to put Charlotte in danger. Just like you made those promises to listen to me and do what I say – _without_ me having to make you do so – _he_ made promises of his own to Charlotte a long, long time ago. When they escaped from Maria and me all those decades ago, he promised her she'd never have to come back, never have to fight again. He promised that he would never _knowingly_ put her in a dangerous situation again. He already broke it once when they came back to save me, and now he's breaking it again. Yeah, it's at _her_ insistence, but still…"

Bella nodded slowly. "Okay, I get that. I'll...cut him some slack, Jasper."

"Mmmm…yeah, babe?" he asked, busy slowly pushing her tank top back down, assuming the conversation was almost over.

"You're not going to…do _that_ to me, are you?"

He stopped and looked up at her, making eye contact. "Bella, I would do whatever it takes to keep you safe, including _that_. I don't make promises that I don't know I can keep. But I _do_ promise to not do it unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm a big believer in free will, too. Carlisle has rubbed off on me over the past few decades."

"Good."

"Now, how 'bout we see what we can do in the way of defiling this Prius, just to piss Peter off?" he asked, taking one of her nipples in his mouth and tugging on it.

She groaned and arched her back. "Sounds like an _excellent_ idea."

"Yeah," he said, switching sides. "I thought you'd like it."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N You know what? I haven't thanked my Beta lately...THANK YOU, JaspersDestiny, for continuing to be the fandom's Best Beta.

Last week, on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_Bella nodded slowly. "Okay, I get that. I'll...cut Peter some slack, Jasper. But...Jasper?" _

_"Mmmm…yeah, babe?" he asked, busy slowly pushing her tank top back down, assuming the conversation was almost over. _

_"You're not going to…do that to me, are you?" _

_He stopped and looked up at her, making eye contact. "Bella, I would do whatever it takes to keep you safe, including that. I don't make promises that I don't know I can keep. But I do promise to not do it unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm a big believer in free will, too. Carlisle has rubbed off on me over the past few decades." _

_"Good." _

_"Now, how 'bout we see what we can do in the way of defiling this Prius, just to piss Peter off?" he asked, taking one of her nipples in his mouth and tugging on it. _

_She groaned and arched her back. "Sounds like an excellent idea." _

_"Yeah," he said, switching sides. "I thought you'd like it."_

Chapter 16

"Do you have your key?" Jasper asked as they walked down the hall.

"It's in the bags there, somewhere…" Bella said, pointing to the bags he was carrying. "I'll have to dig it out."

"No need, Miss Bella!" Peter said cheerfully, opening the door for them. "I got it for you!"

Bella's eyes narrowed as she took in Peter's unusually cheerful demeanor.

"Thanks..." she said slowly, entering the room and continuing to look at him cautiously.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Peter," Jasper said, entering the room and giving Peter a shove that sent him stumbling back into the wall. "But nothing's changed between Bella and me." He kicked the door shut behind him and threw the bags down in a corner before tackling Bella onto the bed. Their combined weight and the force of their fall caused one of the bed's legs to break, sending them tumbling off onto the floor.

Peter stood looking down at their tangled, laughing forms with a sour look on his face. "Well, that's great, Jasper. I'm glad to hear it. Since I can't really do a damn thing about it one way or the other, I'll just have to shut up about it and be happy for the both of you."

"Well, thank God for small favors," Bella muttered.

"I just hope it doesn't come back to bite you both in the ass. Now, if you don't mind, could you two quit screwing around long enough for Jasper to tell us what he found out tonight?"

"Oh, I think we've screwed around enough for the moment," Jasper said, grinning up at Peter. "You might need to get some upholstery work done on the car."

"_Bella," Jasper said. "I wanna try something."_

"_We're sort of limited on options here," Bella said, trying to struggle out of her shorts without ripping them. "The back seat isn't all that big."_

"_Yeah, well, I was talking about something else," Jasper said, sliding out of his own jeans before helping her with her shorts._

"_Oh? Like what?" she asked, running her hands down his torso before grasping his butt and pulling him back down between her legs, glad he was going commando._

"_Well, I was thinking..." He lifted his head up from her breasts and looked out the window. "We're really...exposed here. It's probably foolish of us-"_

"_Definitely foolish. And exciting. Just kiss me, Jasper." She tried to grab his face, but he pulled further back._

"_I mean, it could be downright…dangerous," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye._

_Her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?" she asked warily._

"_Well, you're nervous about the whole...well, being ordered around thing..."_

"_It's the lack of choice, of free will, that has me freaked out," Bella corrected him._

"_Yeah, but Bella, you've already done it, or had me do it to you, rather, and not even felt it."_

"_Yeah, but...that wasn't pre-meditated. That was in the heat of the moment. It's different if it's pre-meditated. If I _know _it's been done, I don't like the idea of that."_

"_I understand that about you. That's one reason I haven't done it," Jasper said. "But at least let me show you it doesn't feel any different when you _know _it's there."_

"_Do we _have _to discuss this right now, Jasper?" Bella asked, grinding against him, trying desperately to position herself under him in such a way that he'd slide into her…_and _shut up._

_Jasper wasn't having it, though, and he lifted his hips off her, almost sitting up on his knees. "It's the perfect time to discuss it, Bella. Let's do a little...experiment, shall we?" he asked, a wicked gleam coming into his eyes._

"_Jasper...?" Bella asked, curiosity warring now with her lust and aggravation at having that lust thwarted._

_He leaned back over to whisper in her ear. "Do you trust me, Bella?"_

"_Absolutely," she said without hesitation._

"_All right, then. You need to be very, very quiet, Bella. Understand? No noise, now. Stay _very _quiet, no matter what." His voice had dropped into that deep tone from earlier in the night, the command clear in it._

_Bella nodded mutely._

"_Good girl," he whispered before trailing his mouth down her torso._

_She managed to whimper in pleasure, but even that was barely audible. She dug her heels into the seat and didn't even notice when they broke through the fabric._

Peter closed his eyes. "If that _was_ my car, you fucker, I might be pissed. As it is, we might still be needing it, and now we've got to ride around with it smelling like nookie in the back seat."

"We left the windows cracked to air it out," Bella said, trying to sound helpful as she stood up, pulling a still laughing Jasper up after her.

"Like that'll help in the heat down here," Peter grumbled. "I'm calling 'driver'."

"Shotgun," Charlotte said behind them. They turned to look at her in surprise and she shrugged. "I don't want to sit in the back seat, either. You two like it so much, you can keep sitting back there."

"She _speaks_," Bella muttered under her breath.

"I think you'll find I have a lot to say, Bella," Charlotte said quietly, looking at her steadily, "when my life and that of my mate's aren't in danger."

Embarrassment washed over Bella and she knew if she'd still been human she would have been blushing. "Sorry," she whispered. "I know that now. Jasper explained-"

"It's all right," Charlotte said, interrupting her. She looked as uncomfortable as Bella felt. "Let's just...start over, all right?"

Bella nodded.

"Right," Peter said, clapping his hands together loudly. "Now that that's all taken care of, Jasper, can we get on with the business at hand?"

Jasper looked up from where he was stacking phone books and bibles under the bed in an effort to bring it back up to level. "I think another Book of Mormon will do the trick, Peter. Can you check in the room next door?"

"Don't you think the folks in that room might mind if I go waltzing in there and steal their Holy Book? Especially at this hour of the morning?"

"Well, they might, but I rented the rooms on either side of us as a buffer, and I can guarantee that _I_ don't mind."

"If you've got all three rooms, why don't we just move this party to a room where the bed isn't broken?" Peter asked, confused.

"Because, then we won't _have_ the buffer anymore. The key cards are in the top drawer there."

"Oh. Right. Okay, be right back."

And he was, at vampire speed, holding several books out for Jasper to choose from. "Finally, a good use for these," he mumbled.

Once the bed was leveled to Jasper's satisfaction, he bounced on it a couple times before scooting up against the headboard and crooking his finger at Bella. "Come back to me, babe, but try not to move around too much. We'll get it fixed for real later today, after the humans are up and about."

Bella settled down next to him, snuggling into his side.

"All right, Jasper, now that you've avoided the subject for, what, almost two hours…do you _mind_ if we get on with it?" Peter asked, his increasing aggravation with Jasper showing in his tone.

"Well, I just wanted to annoy you, Peter, as much as you've annoyed Bella. Am I there yet?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay." Jasper was suddenly all business, the playfulness from just a moment before now gone. "Maria was waiting for me at the reservoir, as planned. She had one other vampire with her - an older black guy with dreadlocks-"

"He was in the warehouse I told you about," Bella cut in, "walking around up above on a catwalk thing, like a guard."

Jasper nodded. "Right. And he was there that first night, here in Laredo. He must be a favorite or something."

"Or _something_," Peter said. "Like he's got something she's using..."

"Like a power..." Bella said, excited that somebody might actually agree with her.

"Bella," Jasper groaned. "I told you before - Maria doesn't like having vampires around her with powers."

"She didn't _used_ to," Bella corrected him.

"But things can change," Peter added in. "Look at _you_, Jasper."

"Could Maria change _that_ much?" Charlotte wondered aloud.

"_Enough_!" Jasper said. "I'm telling you, he's just a regular dude. Maybe he's her best fighter or something. All I know is that neither of them was giving off anything like treachery or aggression - nothing that worried me."

"Hmph!" Peter snorted. "Continue. Did she have anything useful to tell you _this_ time?"

"I'm _trying_ to tell you that, if you'd quit interrupting," Jasper snapped. "She was waiting, along with dread lock dude. She talked up a storm this time. Said she couldn't before because of Heriberto's presence – said we had to get all the 'formalities' over with. She'd wanted me to see her setup, and that, unfortunately, included meeting her human. You were right about that, Bella. She's evidently got herself safely tucked up with a drug lord. He's got a huge empire and she's set up all nice and safe in the middle of it. But to keep up appearances, she couldn't do any business with me while he was around."

"I don't get it," Peter said. "What the hell does she need a human for? She's never needed them for anything more than food up till now."

"It's a different world, now, Peter. She needs, or at least wants, the finer things in life that he's able to offer her. She's just using him."

"And what is _he_ getting out of the deal? Is she actually fucking him?" Peter asked bluntly.

"I imagine so. We didn't go into details like that, Peter. As to what I _do_ know he's getting…well, Maria and her 'cousins' are taking care of one end of his 'business' for him - one that they and their particular 'needs' are especially qualified to take care of-"

"Human trafficking," Bella whispered, horrified.

"Exactly."

"But, not that I know that much about it, I was always under the impression that that involved…well, young people. _Pretty_ people. The people I saw in the warehouse, there wasn't anything particularly, um, 'pretty' about them. A lot of them were _way_ too old, I would think, for that sort of thing," Bella said, looking puzzled. "Those four she brought into the library, sure, but the ones _I_ saw? Not so much."

"She's not supplying just the sex trade, is she, Jasper?" Peter said.

Jasper shook his head. "No, she's not. Up until about two years ago, she was shipping them out to Europe. To _Italy_."

"To the Volturi..." Bella whispered, appalled.

"Exactly. And then, suddenly, the buyer canceled their order. Actually, not so much canceled as didn't show up at the pickup point. Maria was quite put out – the trip is one way. There was no way to bring the merchandise back here, as the ship returns carrying other stuff. With no buyer at the other end and no way to find a new one…well, her 'handler' was forced to destroy the entire shipment."

"How many?" Bella asked.

Jasper shrugged. "She didn't say."

"So, she called you here to complain about the role you played in the loss of her source of income?" Peter's face was scrunched up in thought. "Because, I really can't imagine the Volturi were paying very much for humans, no matter _how_ happy they were to have them."

"I think the bulk of the money is in the ones being sold into the sex trade, to be honest, and _that_ hasn't fallen off for her. But the rest…well, she was buying Volturi goodwill more than anything. Of course, Heriberto probably didn't understand that, I'm sure. All he saw were goods being dumped over the side and money sinking to the bottom of the Mediterranean."

If she could have, Bella would have turned green. Jasper shot her a sympathetic glance and a hefty dose of calm.

"None of this makes sense, Jasper."

"Well, she wanted, really, to see if Carlisle was going to make a play for power in _this_ hemisphere, now that the Volturi are gone. She seems to think that-"

Bella's phone rang in one of the duffel bags. She was still looking faintly sick and she made no move to grab it. Jasper hopped of the bed and dug it out of the bag, flipping it open.

"Hey, Bella," Emmett's voice came through the phone loud and clear. "Alice says you've been getting your freak on. Way to go, little sis! Rose says you should show a little more respect for vehicles, even if it is a 'geek mobile'. Although, she gives you points for originality and bendability."

"Thanks, Emmett," Jasper said. "You let your shield down?" he mouthed silently at Bella, glaring a little.

She shrugged. "Sorry" she mouthed back, not looking sorry. "I was busy trying to stay silent"

Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Hey, Jasper. Sorry, man. I didn't know you'd be picking up."

"Does that mean you don't have any information for me?" Jasper asked, his voice devoid of humor.

"No! I mean, yes, I do. I just wanted to harass Bella first, you know?"

"Right," Bella said, perking up a bit at the sound of her big brother's voice. "And did Esme and Carlisle have anything to add?"

"Uh...no, not so much. Not really." Emmett sounded uncomfortable and Bella wondered just what, exactly, the 'parents' had had to say... Maybe, _just_ maybe, Alice had not relayed _everything_ she saw to them, although clearly their siblings had all apparently gotten the uncensored version.

"Emmett," Jasper cut in impatiently, "can we just try to stay on the subject? What have you found out for me? For _us_," he amended, glancing at Peter and Charlotte.

"Right, right. Okay, your replacement-"

"You can quit calling him that," Jasper said through gritted teeth.

"Not likely, brother," Emmett said, and they could all hear the smile in his voice. "Your _replacement_ at Maria's side appears to be one Heriberto Caballo, owner and proprietor of Los Omegas, originally a small time drug cartel based out of Monterrey."

Peter and Jasper looked at each other. Bella watched them, her eyes narrowing as she tried to interpret their body language. They seemed to be trying not to laugh. Even Charlotte had a grin on her face - the first Bella could remember seeing.

"Sometime in the early 90s, however, there were some shake-ups in the power structures down there and Los Omegas started rising to the top of the cesspool. Heriberto came on board sometime in the late 90s and took the whole thing from a local concern and changed it into the international crime syndicate that you see today. He's had some wicked training in paramilitary operations - some of it right here in the United States, compliments of the government - before he went his own way. The group is based out of Nuevo Laredo right now. They specialize in cocaine and arms dealing."

"And human trafficking," Bella added, disgust roiling in her stomach.

"And human trafficking," Emmett agreed, "although that really is _not_ a large part of their business. More like a sideline. Here's the interesting thing - they have strong ties to a group in Southern Italy-"

"Yes, that's something we _did_ find out," Jasper interrupted Emmett, relaying what Maria had told him the night before.

Emmett whistled. "Wow. Carlisle says-"

"Jasper?" Carlisle's voice came through the phone. "What is your take on this, now that you have Emmett's information to add to your own? Was Maria looking for revenge for the part we played in the Volturi's downfall…or some sort of compensation from us for her loss of income?" His voice was full of disgust.

"No, nothing like that, Carlisle. Her shipments weren't really about the money so much as they were about garnering favor from the Volturi. The money...well, compared to Heriberto's other dealings, I think the income from _that_ side of the business was really quite negligible, even when compared to the more, um, _regular _trade in humans for sex trafficking. No, apparently she really just wants to know what our plans are now."

"Our plans?" Carlisle's voice was now carefully neutral.

"Our _plans_. We're one of the largest surviving covens, Carlisle. That can't have escaped your notice. Even in the south, there are no covens as large as ours. As _yours_. They were never allowed to grow to any size again after the Volturi ended the Southern Wars, and now…well, with the population being what it is, there's really enough to go around for everybody down there in the south. Maria claims to have the biggest coven north of Panama, with her and the six males with her. And I believe her. No...she just wants to make sure you have no intentions of interfering in the little world she's got set up for herself."

There was silence now. Finally, Carlisle's voice came through again. "I have no intentions of any..._empire building_, Jasper. I hope you made that perfectly clear to her."

"Actually, um, _no_. I didn't say anything about your intentions. I'd rather she assume that we – _you_ – _are_ territorial on a large scale, at least as far as interference from _her _is concerned. She really does not want to mess with you at all, if she can help it. I told her I'd talk to you, explain things to you, and get back to her. We're meeting again tonight."

"I don't like that, Jasper. You need to come back as soon as that meeting is over. Make it perfectly clear to her that I have _no _intentions of interfering in her territory, as long as she stays out of ours. You might make it clear, though, that I consider that to include the northern half of North America," he added almost as an afterthought. "I'd like to have a nice bumper zone between us. Pass that on and then get back here. Understand?"

"Perfectly," Jasper said stiffly, his eyes trained carefully on Bella, who was feeling upset again.

"But Carlisle," Bella almost wailed, looking at the phone in horror, "what about all those _people_ she's got locked up?"

They could hear voices on the other end of the phone, so soft that the words couldn't be made out. But the _tone_ could. Clearly an argument was going on in the Cullen house in Seward.

"_Enough_!" Carlisle's voice hissed through the line and silence descended on the other end. "Bella," he said carefully, "you need to understand...as much as it pains me to say this…it would be a very bad idea to make any move to 'rescue' those people, as I'm sure you're envisioning yourself doing. You must _not_ put yourself in that sort of danger, nor should you ask that of Jasper. Any attempt on your part to do anything of the sort would be seen as an attack on her territory, on her food supply. And vampires are _very _territorial over their food supply, Bella. Do you understand?"

"But _Carlisle_," she wailed, and Jasper winced at the pain in her voice, "she's going to _eat _them!"

"Bella," Carlisle said, his voice still very patient, "she and her coven would be feeding from humans no matter what. As much as I find the practice offensive and her methods particularly abhorrent, you would not be actually _saving _any lives overall in the long run. From the sounds of things, she must have them drugged to some degree to maintain that level of calm with that many people under those conditions. And it would put you and Jasper in too great a level of danger."

"We could...we could call the authorities and tell _them_. Tell them it was some sort of kidnapping ring or something. Give them the location of the compound-"

"Bella, for starters, I'm sure the authorities - on both sides of the border - are _more_ than aware of where Heriberto's compound is and what he's got in it, even if they are not aware of the extent of certain aspects of his operations. I'm sorry, Bella, but I can in no way condone any move on your part to 'save' them. In any case, they could not be allowed to survive once they were 'saved' from Maria - they are more than aware of the existence of vampires now…and that breaks The Law."

"But Carlisle, the Volturi are gone and their Law _with_ them!" Bella protested, still arguing. Jasper's eyes had narrowed and he was attempting to force calm on her, but her shield was up now and she was having none of it. Peter was looking pointedly at Jasper, his eyebrows raised, a clear "I told you so" written on his face.

"Just because they are gone does not mean that The Law should die out with them. Are you saying you think it would be all right to turn loose several hundred people who all have been witnesses to regular vampire activity for possibly the last three years? Even the most closed-minded authorities might have trouble writing _that _off to mass hallucination or cult-like activities, Bella. Members of the various drug cartels are known for a lot of monstrosities, but blood drinking on a regular basis is not one of them. Are you willing to endanger all of us like that, risking that kind of exposure to your species?"

"No... When you put it like that, no, I'm not," she said, her mood turning sullen.

Carlisle sighed. "I know how much it must pain you to turn away from this, Bella, but please understand that this is a bad idea. Understand why we cannot do anything for those people."

Bella was looking at Jasper, who was nodding albeit reluctantly. "Yes, Carlisle," she said, her voice cracking. "I understand."

"I'm sorry, Bella, but it's very important to put the safety of the coven before the safety of humans."

Bella looked at the phone as if there was a stranger speaking on the other end of it.

"I never thought I'd hear you say something like that, Carlisle," she whispered.

"Bella, I have always put the safety of my family before all else," he said, the hint of a reprimand in his voice. "And my family includes _you_. And Jasper. Jasper will not let you do anything foolish, either, so do not even bother thinking it."

Bella looked at Jasper, who held an apology in his eyes.

"Right," Jasper said. "I'll call you back, then, tonight, after I've met with Maria again. Then we'll head back tomorrow night."

"Do I need to get tickets, Jasper?" Alice's voice came through the phone.

Jasper looked at Peter. "Nah...I think we'll just head back to Peter and Charlotte's place. Hey, though – you might go ahead and rent a car for us. That Prius isn't gonna make it back to Montana."

"Will do. Do you think it would make it, say…back to _San Antonio_? I can get you a room somewhere there and then have the car delivered."

"Yeah, we can do that. Plan on that, then."

"Call me as soon as you've spoken to her again, Jasper," Carlisle said.

"Yes, sir," Jasper said.

"And Bella..." Carlisle said, his voice trailing off. "I'm sorry," he finished softly.

"It's okay, Carlisle," she whispered.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** I was a failure at answering Reviews this past week; I probably will be this week, too. Real Life is busy right now! But I read all of them, and really appreciate them all. This chapter is short, but gives a little background on some things. And maybe a clue or two?

**_Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":_**

_"Do you think it would make it, say…back to San Antonio? I can get you a room somewhere there and then have the car delivered" Alice said  
_

_"Yeah, we can do that. Plan on that, then." _

_"Call me as soon as you've spoken to her again, Jasper," Carlisle said. _

_"Yes, sir," Jasper said. _

_"And Bella..." Carlisle said, his voice trailing off. "I'm sorry," he finished softly. _

_"It's okay, Carlisle," Bella whispered. _

Chapter 17.

"Uh, I think there's probably somebody at the front desk now that we can ask about fixing the bed," Peter said, his voice breaking through the uncomfortable silence that had descended upon the room when the phone had gone silent.

Jasper looked away from Bella. "What? Oh, right. Yeah. Why don't we go down and see to that, Peter." He looked back at Bella. "You'll be all right for a few minutes?" he asked, clearly not wanting to leave her while she was so upset. But it was equally clear that Peter wanted to talk to him. _Alone_.

Bella waved her hand towards the door. "I'm fine, Jasper, fine. Go ahead. Go get the bed seen to. It'll make the day pass more quickly if we don't have to worry about it falling off the books." She gave him a watery smile.

"If you're sure..."

"Jasper," she said, rolling her eyes, "you're only going downstairs. And it's only for a few minutes. I'll be _fine_."

Jasper nodded his head once and headed for the door, Peter right behind him. He glanced back at her once and she smiled at him, and then they were gone.

"You aren't going to do anything foolish, are you, Bella?" Charlotte asked her.

"I don't know what you mean," Bella said a little stiffly.

"I think you _do_ know what I mean. You might be able to fool Jasper, though I seriously doubt you can, but you can't fool me. I'm a woman too. I think like you too. But you can't save them, Bella. You can't. Carlisle was right. No matter what, those people are dead, one way or another. And by trying to help them, you'd only endanger your entire family."

"I'm not going to try anything," Bella said, trying not to sound sullen. By the way Charlotte was eyeing her, she wasn't being successful. "I'm _not_," she said again.

"Hmmm... All right. Well, it looks like we'll be done here pretty soon, at any rate. By tomorrow morning, we could be on our way back to the mountains." Charlotte sounded very relieved.

"Yeah..." Bella said, looking towards the window, where the morning light was leaking around the edges of the drapes. "I don't think I like it down here very much."

"I know _I_ don't," Charlotte said fiercely.

"What was it like," Bella asked suddenly, turning to Charlotte, "with Maria?"

"It was hell," Charlotte said bluntly. "Pure hell."

"Worse than being in a box?" Bella asked.

Charlotte considered the question. "Possibly..." she said thoughtfully. "I don't know…being in the box sounded bad, Bella, don't get me wrong. And obviously you don't know what was happening to your body...but...being in Maria's army and being a woman...it was the worst kind of hell imaginable. I think, for me at least, I'd choose your box over that _any_ day of the week. Of course, we both escaped our hells, didn't we? So who's to say what would have been worse in the long term?"

"Well, from what Jasper has told me, there really wasn't a long term option with Maria's army."

Charlotte snorted. "That's true."

"But Peter fell in love with you...?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, and I with him. The first time I saw him..." she sighed, then looked at Bella. "This isn't a love story, though, Bella. It's a horror story."

Bella looked at her expectantly.

"You really want to hear this?" Charlotte asked, sighing.

"If you don't mind."

Charlotte smiled. "I don't mind. It does, after all, have the happiest of endings. You're a curious thing, aren't you?"

Bella shrugged.

"All right, then. I imagine I awoke to quite a different world than you did, Bella," Charlotte began, settling into one of the chairs. Bella lay on the bed on her stomach, propping her head up in her hands. "There was no loving family waiting for me when I opened my newly red eyes, nobody to explain things to me, nobody to help me. There was just a very angry man with red eyes. You realize, of course, that I did not know that mine were now red, too. He was covered in scars, snarling at me. It was horrific, terrifying." She was silent for a moment, remembering. "Actually, I lied. He _did_ explain things to me. He said, 'Try not to get yourself killed'. And with that, I was thrown into a barn with a bunch of others just like me."

"Jasper," Bella said.

Charlotte nodded. "Jasper. The barn..." she shuddered. "I won't tell you all about that, Bella. I try not to think about that, you understand. Some of the things that went on in there..."

Bella nodded. She knew all about trying not to think about things and the impossibility of it with their vampire brains.

"But after a couple weeks, another man came to the barn. Up until then, we'd seen nothing of our...captors. There were ten of us in that barn – seven men, three women. A couple of them tried to escape early on. Through the walls, of course – it's not a like a barn could really contain us, but human habits don't fade. We could hear the snarling fight that would happen outside, though we never saw anything - nothing but a few body pieces that would be thrown back into the barn. And the sweet scent of something burning right outside the barn–"

"Didn't they feed you?" Bella asked, horrified, remembering her own burning thirst when she first awoke.

"Oh, in a way, they did... Every day, the scary one – Jasper – would open the door and send us all to the other end of the barn. It didn't take more than a few snarls from him to get us to back away from him. Instincts are very strong in newborns, you know, and his body was a giant warning sign saying 'Stay Away'. Anyway, after we were at the other end of the barn, someone else would throw a human into the barn and Jasper would leave. We didn't eat very well those first couple weeks." She looked pointedly at Bella. "By the time the fighting was over, there'd be nothing left of the meal except a puddle on the barn floor, and even that would be fought over. By the end of the two weeks, there were only five of us left. Two died trying to escape, the other three in fights amongst ourselves. I learned a lot about my new life in those two weeks."

She stopped and looked at Bella, who was totally absorbed in the story. "I learned what true thirst was. I learned that even if I was pulled apart, I could be put back together. I learned that even if we were ripped into little pieces, those pieces would eventually go back together. The three that were destroyed in fighting – they were not _truly_ destroyed, you understand? We had no fire, but we figured out real quick that if we kept pulling them apart, they wouldn't bother us. And one human shared amongst five goes a lot further than one amongst ten. I also learned how to protect myself, how to fight. After two weeks – maybe it was two weeks… Peter told me later it was and I have no reason to not believe him – we finally managed to actually get something from the meal tossed in to us. I wouldn't call it _sharing_ exactly, but we were able to get the blood from the body and not have to lick it up off the floor."

She smiled now at the memories that were coming to her. "At that point, the door opened again. The scarred man came in, and with him, another man. Peter. It was, you could say, love at first sight. I was ecstatic, Bella. I'd known nothing but fear in my new life so far – fear and pain and thirst – but when I saw Peter...nothing else mattered. I wanted to run to him, hold him, lick him..._love_ him. I started towards him and he looked at me. I knew…I knew he felt it too. But he didn't look happy, not like _I_ was feeling. He looked _angry_…so, so angry. And he snarled at me. I thought my heart was going to break."

"But…_why_?" Bella asked, confused.

"Shh… Wait. I fell back from him, confused – just one more confusion in a mess of confusions. The scarred one – Jasper – started talking, telling us what we were. _Vampire_. I'd never even heard the word before. I didn't know what it meant to be a vampire. All I knew was I was now a monster – a monster among monsters. And I was apparently in an army. _Maria_'s army. The very idea was foreign to me. I couldn't understand. I was a woman – why would anybody want me to fight? I couldn't remember anything from human life aside from my name – two weeks in the barn took care of that – but I was pretty sure women didn't fight.

"He explained that, too…explained that we were strong – strong, fast, clever. We were the survivors. We'd passed the test, there in the barn, and now we were the chosen ones for Maria's army. He said we should feel 'honored'.

"I didn't feel honored, Bella. I felt scared. But looking at the others in the group, I could see that _they_ felt honored. After all, what else did we know? We sure didn't understand anything else around us.

"The training began that very day. Jasper, with Peter beside him, began to teach us how to fight, how to control ourselves. Our little 'group' lost another member over the next few weeks. Control is very hard to learn, as you know... And then I was the only female left. We got to eat better then. They taught us how to feed without destroying our meals. Those lessons were one-on-one with the 'instructors', and Peter was always mine. He always brought me the best..._specimen_. He always held it for me, breaking its neck so it wouldn't struggle and I would get the most out of it. But he never spoke. _At all_. He wouldn't even look at me, and whenever I made a move towards him, he would growl. I soon got the message and began to ignore him back."

Bella looked horrified. "But _why_?"

"Tch. Patience, child!" Charlotte laughed now. "After a few weeks of that training, we were brought back to 'camp', where we met the rest of Maria's 'army'. The four of us brought the total up to twenty-four – twenty-four 'newborns', all under the age of one year. She seemed to think this was enough and we began to prepare to march out. We were outside of Monterrey at that point, her home territory. She was hoping to make a grab for Saltillo. The days of the large, grand battles were over. It was smaller fights now – nobody wanted to attract the attention of the Volturi, though of course I knew nothing of that at the time. All I knew was that we were to fight when Jasper told us to, and as a reward, we would have unlimited feeding.

"Once we were back in camp, I was 'assigned' to Peter." Charlotte looked pointedly at Bella. "Do you understand what I am saying?" Bella nodded silently. "Yes. Well, Peter was third in line in the hierarchy – Maria was in charge, Jasper carried out her orders, and Peter...was in charge of the newborns, the youngest ones in the army, though Jasper was in charge of everything together. So, Peter got first choice of companionship...and he chose me.

"And then, once we were alone in his room in the hacienda, he explained to me. He explained everything – about mating, about the pull between us, how Jasper would be able to detect our feelings for each other should we slip up and let them show, how it was dangerous to even _feel_ those feelings. It explained the anger he was projecting every time he'd looked at me. I was terrified then – I hadn't been able to hide my own feelings. I had not known there would be any _reason_ to.

"He reassured me, though." Charlotte laughed. "He said Jasper had even commented on my 'feelings' for Peter, writing them off as the lust of a newborn, making jokes about it. It made it easier for Peter to choose me, you see – Jasper was expecting it! Jasper had never really detected love, not amongst vampires. So, you see, he didn't realize what was going on right under his nose.

"But _Peter_ knew. And Peter knew what Maria did to mated pairs. A mated pair was nothing but a liability in her eyes – too caught up in protecting each other to fight properly, too interested in dying if the other one died. It was a liability she destroyed on sight. We would have to hide what we had, Peter said, until he could come up with a way for us to escape. You see, we didn't really know what was 'out there' in the world, what life could be like for vampires. We had no reason _not_ to believe the lies Maria fed us. But Peter...Peter started making plans to get us away.

"The next few months were _hell_, Bella. Always having to hide what we had... It killed Peter, seeing me go into battle, fighting without his protection... He always made it a point to try to be by my side, but still... He didn't dare show favoritism…didn't dare risk exposing us and bringing down destruction on one or both of us. See, there was always the chance that Maria would decide to..._play_...before she destroyed us. She can be malicious and vindictive, especially when she's bored."

"Why didn't you just run away _then_?" Bella asked.

"Looking back now, I don't really know. Fear, I guess. Fear of the unknown. Fear that was as great as our fear of Maria's discovery. I don't really have an answer for it... All I know is, it was towards the end of my first year and my group – my 'classmates', if you will – had been taken out to hunt along with Peter and Jasper. So foolish... We'd seen older 'siblings', our fellow soldiers, go out to hunt with those two together and never come back. Always a story about an ambush, another coven making a grab for territory... Always a cover story. So we thought nothing of going out with them into the desert, the promise of a good run through the night with an isolated farmstead at the other end, enough for everybody to feed well...

"Peter was frantic on that run and there was no way to hide it from Jasper now. I still didn't understand it yet...not even when Jasper suddenly attacked the other males in the group, killing them all before it could even register with me. Then it was just me, Peter, and Jasper. Peter was standing in front of me, growling at Jasper...and Jasper was staring back at us, so confused, so...puzzled. I actually felt sorry for him at that point. He had no idea why Peter was doing what he was doing.

"And then I saw the understanding dawn in his eyes and Peter was shouting at me to run. And I ran. I had no choice..." Charlotte looked pointedly at Bella now. "No choice at all. I could not have stayed to protect him, no matter how much I wanted to. But soon, Peter was running by my side. Jasper had let him go, almost without a word.

"Peter made promises to me that night, Bella, as we ran north. We ran north for days without stopping till we felt safe again. But I made a promise of my own that night. I promised myself that we – Peter and I – would always help Jasper if he needed it. Because I knew, at the end, that _he_ realized what it was between Peter and me. And I didn't just see understanding in his eyes – I saw _longing_. He wanted what we had. And if it was the last thing I did, as long as it didn't endanger my own mate, I would see that Jasper had a chance to get it for himself."

"So you went back for him," Bella said.

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. A few years later, after we were comfortable up north, after we felt safe enough to add another member to our coven, we went back for him. Peter understood completely and agreed with me. We brought him back north with us…_saved_ him…and it allowed him to eventually find Alice. And that, it seems, was stolen from him." Charlotte shivered a bit, the fear of that concept still hitting her. "But now he has you, and he's happier than I ever remember him being, Bella."

Bella smiled happily. That meant a lot coming from somebody who had known Jasper for so long.

"Now you know my story, Bella – mine and part of Peter's. Please, Bella, don't do anything to put yourself in danger – you _or_ Jasper. I _know_ it hurts...but please, don't do anything foolish, especially anything involving Maria. Your mate…your coven…_must_ come before all else."

"I know," Bella said. "I won't do anything foolish."

"Hmm... Good," Charlotte said, watching her, the particular words the other vampire chose not escaping her notice.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N So, once again, I did not do any review replies. Apparently, I could blame it on FFnet, because I heard that it wasn't allowing review replies to happen this week. But it wouldn't have mattered - RL kept me from answering. This coming week will be different, though.

I DID read them all, though. And everybody seems to be divided into two camps - the "Jasper's right" group, and the "Peter's right" group. I guess you'll have to wait and see who's right...

Thanks, as always, to JaspersDestiny, my wonderfully awesome Beta!

Last week on "Chaotic Dynamics"

_"Now you know my story, Bella – mine and part of Peter's. Please, Bella, don't do anything to put yourself in danger – you or Jasper. I know it hurts...but please, don't do anything foolish, especially anything involving Maria. Your mate…your coven…must come before all else." _

_"I know," Bella said. "I won't do anything foolish." _

_"Hmm... Good," Charlotte said, watching her, the particular words the other vampire chose not escaping her notice._

Chapter 18

"So, Peter, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jasper asked as they walked down the hall to the stairwell.

"Nothing," Peter said. "Charlotte wanted to have some one-on-one time with Bella. You know...a little girl-talk with her. Thought it might help..._with something_. I don't know..." Peter trailed off, uncertain.

"Yeah, well, that might be true, but you want to say something to me too. I just hope it's not the same old thing you've been spouting at me for the last few days." Jasper trotted down the steps, Peter right behind him. They burst out of the stairwell on the first floor, startling several people at the free breakfast buffet with their sudden entrance.

"Sorry," Jasper muttered to the humans as he stalked across the room. Crossing the lobby toward the desk, which was indeed occupied now, he stopped at the large glass door that led outside to the swimming pool. The doors were shaded from the rising sun by an outside awning, preventing any chance of them sparkling in front of the humans. Two families with small children were already taking advantage of the pool, no doubt trying to avoid the heat that would be present later in the day despite the season.

"It probably is, Jasper," Peter said, answering Jasper's question from a moment before, as he came to stand beside him. "But I think that little scene up there just made it all the more important that you do something. Do you want her running off down there as soon as your back is turned, trying to 'free' those humans? Christ, she's like some PETA freak for the vampire world."

"Will you lower your voice?" Jasper hissed. Peter glanced around to see that they did indeed have several people staring at them in curiosity now.

"Sorry," he said, almost in a whisper. "I think it might help if we weren't standing here staring out at their kids, you know? Nobody likes seeing their young stalked by predators."

"I'm not staring at—oh, for the love of Christ! Fine, let's sit down." Jasper turned and stomped over to a little couch along the wall. "Happy now?"

"Absolutely," Peter said, keeping his voice lowered. "Now...back to Bella...do you really not think she'd do something like that?"

"Oh, I _know_ she'd do something like that," Jasper said. "All _we_ think about is protecting and saving our mates, and all _they_ think about is saving everything and everybody else around them." Jasper gave Peter a pointed look. "_However_, I trust that she understands why it is not something we can actually do. She was very accepting of Carlisle's reasoning..."

Peter looked at him in disbelief.

"I didn't say she was _happy_ about it, Peter. But she understands."

"Maybe," Peter said. "And maybe she's just waiting for you to go out tonight so she can slip out and make a little trip of her own—"

"Christ, Peter! Where is the trust? Do you distrust Charlotte like this? My God, man, are you telling me all you've got between you two is the mating instinct? Because that's _bullshit_! I _know_ it's not true because I can feel what you've got! I was with you two for almost a _decade_. So, why can't you believe that I trust Bella? Even if _you_ don't trust her, don't you trust me? Don't you trust _my_ judgment?"

Peter may have felt slightly ashamed, but he looked stubbornly unrepentant. "I don't know, Jasper. You're just..._different_ now. You're not the Jasper I knew."

"We're _all_ different, Peter. It's been a long time…and a lot has happened. I mean, come on—you're driving a Prius now. And you're worried about _me_ having changed?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the humans gradually relax again when the vampires had made no more sudden moves.

"Did you really use it for sex games?" Peter finally asked.

Jasper smirked. He could tell it was killing his oldest friend to ask the question, but the curiosity had won out. He also appreciated the fact that by changing the subject, Peter was giving in—without having to utter the actual words. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know…"

"That's why I'm asking, dammit."

"Hmmm... That's rather private, Peter," Jasper told him, trying to sound prim.

"Yeah, maybe—if it hadn't happened in the backseat of my car in the middle of a parking lot! There ain't _nothing_ private about that."

"Well, yes, we did. But you'll have to do your own experimenting with it. That's all you're getting from me. Now, I need to see a man about a bed," Jasper said, standing up and crossing the lobby to the front desk. He spoke quietly to the man for a few minutes. The man nodded several times and assured him that someone would be right up.

"Was that really necessary?" Peter asked. "We could have just switched it out with one of the other beds in the other room."

Jasper shrugged. "Probably. But we were down here anyway. Now, do you think they're done having their 'girl talk'?"

"It's been twenty minutes. What do they have to talk about, anyway? I mean, it's not like they can have babies or anything, so there's not much shit left for them to have 'girl talk' about."

Jasper shook his head. "Peter, you are an idiot. You really need to get out more. I don't know how Charlotte still puts up with you." He headed for the stairwell, still shaking his head in disgust.

"What'd I say?" Peter asked, truly puzzled, as he trailed after him.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Jasper stood in the hall talking quietly to Peter while two burly workers replaced the broken bed in the room. Charlotte and Bella had retreated to one of the other rooms, wanting to avoid the humans, each for her own reasons. Charlotte was feeling a bit thirsty and Bella was feeling guilty, wondering if any of the people she'd seen in the warehouse were related to the workers. Jasper leaned against the wall, splitting his attention between keeping the workers calm despite his and Peter's presence so close to them and listening with half an ear to Peter trying, once again, to talk him into ordering Bella to remain at the hotel while he went to see Maria again.

Even though Peter thought that _that_ was a stupid idea too.

"It's a trap, Jasper."

"It's not a trap, Peter. Seriously. What are you thinking?" Jasper glanced away from the workers just long enough to roll his eyes at his friend.

"I'm thinking that it's a _trap_. Something's wrong..."

"You're getting magical 'feelings' all of a sudden, are you?"

"No," Peter growled, loud enough that one of the men dropped his end of the mattress that was being moved aside in the room. "I'm not getting any 'magical' feelings. That's _your_ specialty. I've got my instincts, and they're telling me something's not right here."

Jasper sighed. "Peter, for the last time, I'm telling you I felt nothing of the sort from her. There's no trap. There's just Maria. Good ol' psychotic, self-centered, crazy Maria—the one we knew and loved for so long."

"You forgot the most important one, Jasper—_power hungry_ Maria. A leopard don't change its spots, not when they're that deeply ingrained. And if she's crazy, she's crazy like a _fox_. You need to have Dr. Cullen check you out when you get home because if you're feeling nothing suspicious when you're around her, then _your _feeler's broke."

"My _feeler _is just fine, Peter," Jasper smirked. "In fact, it looks like they're about done in there, so, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to spend some time with my mate before I go see Maria one last time."

"I suppose you want us to babysit again tonight," Peter grumbled.

"If you wouldn't mind," Jasper said, pushing off from the wall and looking at Peter. "I'd really feel better if she wasn't with me—I hate the thought of putting her into danger that way."

"Even though nothing is going on that you need to be afraid of," Peter said sarcastically.

"I'd rather not take any chances where Bella is concerned," Jasper said, ignoring Peter's jab. "I'm sure Maria still has a bit of an unpredictable streak."

"I'm so glad I busted my ass driving a couple thousand miles so I could babysit your girlfriend—especially when it's not really necessary," Peter grumbled, getting in one last dig.

"And I appreciate it immensely," Jasper said, clapping him on the shoulder. The workers started hauling the broken bed-frame out of the room and Jasper pulled several bills out of his wallet, tipping them and thanking them in Spanish for their help. They took the money and smiled nervously before carrying the remains of the frame to the stairs. As soon as the door closed, Bella and Charlotte opened the door of the room they'd retreated to.

"Are they all gone?" Bella whispered.

"All gone," Jasper confirmed. "Wanna spend some quality time, babe, before tonight?"

"Absolutely," Bella said, slipping out of the room and flitting to Jasper's side, wrapping herself around him.

"Ah, young love," Peter said sarcastically, before shooing Charlotte back into the room she and Bella had been hiding in. He followed her quickly and shut the door behind him. Bella and Jasper heard the door lock and the deadbolts slide shut.

"Well!" Bella said, sounding a little affronted.

"Come on, Bella," Jasper said, tugging on her hand. "Ignore them. Let's go try out the new bed. And let's try not to break it—we don't want the management getting suspicious."

"No, we wouldn't want that, would we?" Bella murmured, allowing herself to be led back into the motel room, where a new bed awaited them.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Several hours later they lay in a tangle of sheets, enjoying the after effects of their love making. The late afternoon sun was showing around the edges of the drapes on the sliding glass doors.

"Are you really going to meet her again?" Bella asked, starting to feel stressed at just the thought.

"Shhh..." Jasper whispered, stroking her hair and calming her down, even though the thought of separating from her was just as upsetting to him. "Last time. I promise. And it won't even take very long tonight. I'll be back before you have time to lose more than a couple thousand dollars playing poker."

"I'm not playing poker with him anymore," Bella said petulantly.

"Good," Jasper said, laughing. "Because I'm already giving him more than I care to in order to cover last night's loss. I hope he at least uses it to buy a decent vehicle."

"Has he _ever_ bought a vehicle?" Bella asked. "Because he just seems the type to drive whatever makes itself..._available_."

Jasper laughed. "You're right—I don't think he _has_ ever bought a car. Hell, I don't know _what_ he'd spend the money on. That's one nice thing about being a nomad—your needs are very minimal."

"Hot water," Bella said.

"What?" Jasper asked, puzzled at the tangent her mind had evidently followed.

"Hot water. That's something _I_ need, even as a nomad. You'd have to make sure I had regular access to hot water. If we were nomads, that is."

"Hot water. Duly noted. Although I feel the need to point out that I already knew that about you, Bella. And I feel that I have, in the time we've been together, more than adequately provided you with access to hot water."

"Yes, you have," Bella said with a giggle. "It's one of the things I love about you."

"Oh, really... And what are the others?" Jasper asked.

"Hmmm... Your compassion," Bella answered, getting serious again.

"Compassion?" Jasper snorted.

"What's so funny about that?" she asked defensively.

"I don't think there is anybody else in the world, Bella, that would ever even _consider_ linking my name with the word 'compassion'," Jasper said.

Bella could sense the hurt underlying his words. "You've always been very compassionate to me."

"You're my mate, Bella. It would be impossible for me to behave any other way, even if I wanted to."

"I bet Alice, and the rest of the Cullens, would agree with me," she said softly.

"All right. Outside of the family, then," Jasper said.

"Peter and Charlotte," Bella said.

"All right. Jeez, woman, where are you going with this?"

"Maybe it's just my way of boosting your ego before you go talk to that bitch again," Bella said, sitting up and swinging around to straddle him. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the mouth.

"Yeah, maybe," Jasper said, running his hands gently up and down the tops of her thighs. "But somehow I'm thinking there's more to it than that—not that I don't appreciate the vote of confidence. What do you want, baby? Just tell me..."

"Those people..." Bella whispered, dropping her eyes from his.

Jasper sighed. "We already talked about this, Bella."

"I know, but...I just don't understand. Why was she doing that—rounding them up and shipping them to Italy? It doesn't make sense! There are plenty of people in Europe for them, I'd think…or _anywhere_ in that hemisphere. Why ship them overseas from here? It couldn't have been cheap. Or easy. Why bother? Why take the time and energy to do that? It has nothing to do with her life _here_ with Heriberto or the other vampires in the coven."

Jasper shrugged, his hands stilling on her legs. "I don't know, Bella. Maria likes power. She'd like having it seem like she had some sort of relationship with the Volturi—she'd definitely noise that about, you know? And well, honestly, Bella, feeding a coven _that_ large probably did take a lot of time and energy. They couldn't feed off of tourists year round. It would have attracted attention. You know that already."

"Yeah, but I'd think big cities, like Rome and Venice, would have had plenty of...homeless people, druggies...people like _that_..." Bella wrinkled her nose in disgust. "People that _wouldn't_ be noticed if they went missing."

Jasper shook his head. "I'm sure they do. But to be honest, vampires really don't _like_ feeding from the, uh, 'dregs of society'. It's definitely not their first choice, if they have one. And the Volturi definitely felt entitled to feed better than that."

Bella looked puzzled. "But why would it matter?"

"Think about it, Bella. Given the choice, which would you rather have—prime rib or 'Grade D But Edible'? When we're hunting, are you going to take down the old cow that is obviously diseased or are you going to go for the healthy young bull?"

"The healthy one, of course, but—"

"Thinking that vampires only feed off the sick, the slow, the dying...that's all very good and well if you want to keep it rainbows and sunshine in your mind, but I guarantee that isn't the reality of things. They aren't out there thinning the herd. They're feeding off the best they can find, if they can get away with it. Diseases leave a foul taste. So do drugs. Alcohol isn't too bad, but still—give me a clean, healthy adult _any_ day of the week." Bella's eyes widened and he hastened to add, "That is, if I was still feeding that way. Which I have no intention of doing again. _Ever_." He gave a half-laugh. "Back when I was roaming with Peter and Charlotte, I _did_ stick to the dying and the winos—if their emotions were numbed already, it made it easier on me. But they tasted like shit. Almost as bad as deer."

"Well..." Bella looked up at him again, hesitated, and then fell silent again.

Jasper sighed. "What is it, sweetheart? Just ask me, whatever it is."

"You're not going to like it."

Jasper shrugged. "I'm not gonna be mad at you for _asking _anything. Just don't _expect _anything."

"Well...why don't you just kill her? Tonight!" Bella became more animated. "We could all go with you, in case she had more people with her, and just end her!"

Jasper laughed.

"It's not funny, Jasper. I'm serious. Just think—we wouldn't have to worry about her anymore!"

"I _am_ being serious, Bella. Believe me, I have had fantasies about ending that woman. And you're right—we wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. We'd just have to worry about every _other_ vampire from here to the tip of South America. I don't think you really understand yet what goes on in your new world..."

Bella slid off his hips to sit on the bed next to him, her back to him and her posture stiff. "Considering where I've spent most of my time in my 'new world', this surprises you? I'm so _sick_ of everybody saying, 'You don't understand', 'You're still young', 'You just don't know'. Why don't you try _explaining_ it to me instead of just blowing me off like I'm stupid?"

"You're right, Bella," Jasper said, reaching out to rub her back. She'd left her shield down in spite of her tantrum, but he didn't try to calm her down, instead letting her sort through her feelings on her own. "I'm sorry. It's just easy to forget you're still so young sometimes. You _don't_ know... You weren't around for Carlisle and Edward to teach you everything you needed to know about your new life. And I admit that I've been a shit-ass teacher in that department. I've been selfish, and I apologize."

"Apology accepted," she said, sniffling, and for a moment Jasper thought she might actually be crying real tears. She still didn't turn back toward him. "So...start talking, Jasper. Explain to me why we can't just rip her head off, burn her, and then go home."

"Well, for starters, this is her home territory, Bella. You just don't go visiting and then kill your hostess, no matter _how_ you feel about her. That's a declaration of war, that's what _that_ is. Look what happened between the Cullens and the Volturi when Chelsea did what she did. And the last thing we—Carlisle—wants is a war."

"But if she's _gone_, then there wouldn't be a war!" Bella pointed out.

"She'd be gone, but she has ties with others down here. And I don't know how close those ties are. Maybe negligible. I'd be surprised if there was anything even remotely close to what we have, say, with the Denalis. But even so, other covens wouldn't look kindly on an act of aggression like that. And it would make us no better than the Volturi."

"But those _people_ she has—" Bella began.

"Bella, you have _got_ to take those humans out of the equation! I know they mean something to _you_. Hell, I don't like it any more than you do! But to the _rest_ of the vampire world, they are nothing more than cattle. You have _got_ to understand that, even if you don't agree with it! Every other vampire in the _world_ would see us killing Maria as an act of aggression and a grab for territory. _Nobody_ would see it as any sort of 'rescue' mission—not even our own friends and allies."

Bella gave a defeated whimper and Jasper decided to go ahead and send her some emotional comfort—enough to help her without covering up her own feelings. She turned around and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in thanks.

"Hey," he said, reaching up to stroke her face. "There are other reasons too."

"Other reasons?" she asked.

"Sure. If I kill Maria, word will get out. Vampires will start showing up on our doorstep just for the opportunity to fight me."

"Fight _you_?" Bella asked.

"It's like being a gunslinger in the Old West, Bella. You develop a reputation and people want to test their skills against you. Hell, there were still vampires tracking me down for decades after I left Maria. And speaking from experience, that's no way to live. Another reason—if we destroyed Maria, it would definitely destabilize things in this area. Right now, she's sort of a buffer between the vampires of North America—the nomads _and_ the Cullens and Denalis—and the vampire covens further south. For whatever reason, she's always had a healthy respect for Carlisle and she never attempts to move any further north than about where she is now."

"Probably because she's scared of you," Bella murmured.

"Maybe," Jasper agreed. "_Probably_. But if she's gone, who knows what will happen? Those other vampires moving in from the south…well, there's no telling what would happen with that, especially now that the Volturi are gone. Maria has already indicated she doesn't intend to move any further north. She's rather tied to this area, where she was human. I believe her. And as long as she's here, she serves as a nice buffer for the rest of us."

"I never thought about that either," Bella said.

"There's no reason why you would have, Bella. It all involves information you had no knowledge of. But now, at least, you have _some_ idea for why we're going to walk out of here, leaving her in one piece."

"Yeah, okay. I get it. But I don't like it," Bella admitted grudgingly.

"Believe me, babe, neither do I," Jasper said, snaking an arm around her and pulling her back down to his side. "Neither do I."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N So...FFnet STILL won't let me do review replies. But I still read them all, and love them very very much. Thanks go out to Super Beta, as always, for everything she does!

Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_"... if Maria's gone, who knows what will happen? Those other vampires moving in from the south…well, there's no telling what would happen with that, especially now that the Volturi are gone. Maria has already indicated she doesn't intend to move any further north. She's rather tied to this area, where she was human. I believe her. And as long as she's here, she serves as a nice buffer for the rest of us." _

_"I never thought about that either," Bella said. _

_"There's no reason why you would have, Bella. It all involves information you had no knowledge of. But now, at least, you have some idea for why we're going to walk out of here, leaving her in one piece." _

_"Yeah, okay. I get it. But I don't like it," Bella admitted grudgingly. _

_"Believe me, babe, neither do I," Jasper said, snaking an arm around her and pulling her back down to his side. "Neither do I."_

Chapter 19

"No poker," Jasper reminded her again. Peter made a noise of disgust from where he was seated in a chair, eyes carefully trained on the television and away from the couple having yet _another_ goodbye kiss in the doorway of the hotel room.

"No poker," Bella agreed, grabbing his lower lip gently in her teeth and tugging on it before kissing him hard—again.

"And don't annoy Peter. He's my oldest friend. I don't need you breaking him, okay?" Jasper said after a moment, pulling out of the kiss.

"As if…" Peter muttered.

"I promise," Bella whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

"I gotta go," Jasper whispered against her lips. "But I'll be right back. I love you."

"I love you too," Bella whispered, stealing one last kiss.

Jasper disappeared down the hall and Bella closed the door quietly behind him. Turning around, she found Peter sticking his finger in his mouth and making gagging noises.

"Shut up, Peter," Bella said.

"You wish," he replied.

There was a soft knock on the door and Bella opened it again, knowing who was on the other side. Charlotte stood in the hall, hair still wet from her shower and wearing new clothes compliments of Bella and Jasper's shopping trip when they'd first arrived in town. Bella was a little bit bigger than Charlotte, so the clothes didn't fit perfectly. They were still better than what the little vampire had arrived in, though.

Peter stood up and quickly crossed to his mate, pulling her gently into the room and giving her a hug. "You look real pretty, Charlotte," he told her, eyeing the outfit.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I'm not sure—they're not what I'd normally wear..." she trailed off and looked at Bella apprehensively.

Bella eyed the shorts and t-shirt combination. "No, it looks cute on you," she insisted, echoing Peter's sentiment. "Very..._modern_." She smiled, trying to set the other woman at ease.

"I feel so exposed..." Charlotte said, looking down at her legs. She was obviously still not sure of the clothes.

"Well, nobody would look twice at you," Bella said. "I mean—they probably _would_…because you're so pretty, but it wouldn't be because of the clothes. The clothes would make you _less_ noticeable—well, except for our white legs..." She looked down at her own pale limbs and wrinkled her nose. "There's nothing we can do about that, though."

"Well, they _are_ comfortable," Charlotte said, nodding her head, seeming to come to a decision. "So, are we playing cards again?"

"No," Peter and Bella said at the same time.

Charlotte looked back and forth between them, confused.

"Jasper said, 'No poker!'" Peter explained. "Evidently he's done financing Bella's losing streak."

"Oh, okay. So what are we going to do instead?"

Bella shrugged. "Watch TV. Hey—you two speak Spanish, right?"

Peter and Charlotte both nodded.

"Well, I was thinking I'd like to learn it—you know, I thought by watching some of the shows on TV, it might help me," she gestured to the television, "but with _you_ here, it would go so much faster."

Peter nodded "Good idea. Languages usually come pretty easily to vampires. Do you speak any others besides English?"

Bella shook her head. "No. Well, wait—I do know some Russian songs."

Peter raised his eyebrow. "And where in the hell did you pick those up?"

"Well, outside a bar in Siberia... I don't know what they mean, though, so it doesn't really count, does it?"

Peter smirked. "Oh, I don't know… Let's hear them!" He turned the television off before turning his full attention back on Bella.

Bella hesitated. "Really?"

"Sure, sure—go ahead. Lay one on us."

"Okay, here it goes..." Bella began to sing, her voice taking on the tone and accent of the drunk in the bar where she'd first heard the song.

Peter started laughing.

"What? What is it?" Bella asked. "What does it mean? You speak Russian too?"

"You heard it in a bar?"

"Yeah... What does it mean?"

"It's like a limerick, except they sing them," Peter said. "I met a Russian vampire once, a few decades ago. He'd been in the army there during the Second World War—as a vampire, you understand. Very good feeding opportunities… Anyway, he taught me the language, and he taught me the soldiers' songs. Yours goes something like this…" Peter began to sing again, using the same tune Bella had. "I and my honey did some kissing, we are hot and heavy flirts. I would like to kiss him more, but my vagina already hurts."

Bella looked at him, appalled. If she could still blush, she would have been bright red. Charlotte had looked away, but Bella could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, my..."

"Oh, don't be shy, Bella. After what you and Jasper did in the back seat of my car, I'd like to think we're all friends here. I know what your sex smells like, so it shouldn't embarrass you to sing dirty songs in front of me."

Bella flung herself on the bed and grabbed the television controller. Turning it back on, she started flipping through the channels aimlessly.

"Stop!" Peter said suddenly, watching the screen.

"I don't want to. It's my room," Bella snarled, still upset and embarrassed.

"No, no—go back! That was a children's show in Spanish. It will make it easier to learn—"

"Oh…" Bella said, taken aback by the fact that Peter had stopped laughing at her and seemed to be sincere in his offer. She flipped back to the children's show, which consisted of brightly colored Muppets singing something in Spanish. It looked to be some sort of Sesame Street-type of show.

"Okay, scoot down here on the bed and let's get you a new language—something more useful than dirty Russian limericks," Peter said earnestly, gesturing her forward with his hand. She complied and the lesson began.

~CD~CD~CD~

Twenty minutes later, the show ended and another one began. Bella had picked up the language quickly, surprising even Peter.

"Well," she said, scrunching up her nose and trying to remember, "I think I took Spanish when I lived in Phoenix, back in Middle School, and then again the first two-and-a-half years of high school."

Peter nodded. "That makes sense, then. The footwork was already laid; it just had to be brought back up."

"I don't think I was ever very good at it," Bella said.

"Well, you're certainly a quick study with it now," Peter said, approval in his voice.

"Yes, I'll have no problem at all asking for directions to the bathroom," Bella smirked.

"Hey, don't knock it—you never know when something like that will come in handy!" Peter said, and all three of them chuckled. "Want to watch another one?"

"Nah, let's watch something a little more brainless." Bella flipped through some more stations till Peter hollered "Stop!" again.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, staring at the screen in appalled fascination.

Bella watched for a moment and then shrugged. "I don't know—some show on MTV. I don't recognize it, though. I never really watched it before, and I haven't watched much of anything in the past few years—"

"MTV?"

"Music Television," she explained.

"But this isn't _music_. This is...sex."

"Well, yes...but it used to be about music."

"But now it's about sex…" He turned to her for confirmation and she shrugged.

"I guess so... Like I said, I don't watch it. I don't think even Emmett likes it, which is saying something, and he'll watch almost anything."

"What are those children doing?" Peter asked, leaning in to the screen in fascination. "Oh, my God..."

"Look, let's change the channel, okay?" Bella said, putting actions to words. MTV was not the way to bring Peter and Charlotte into the twenty-first century. Maybe a nice Lifetime movie would be better. Or maybe...

"Stop!" Peter yelled again, and she stopped.

The History Channel. _This_ she could handle. It wasn't bringing them into the twenty-first century—if anything, The History Channel meant subjecting herself to the annoying monologue of vampires who had 'been there, done that' and insisting on pointing out every incorrect statement on the show. It wasn't her first viewing of The History Channel with vampires. But at least it was safe. And the show about firearms and shooting appeared to fascinate Peter, even if it bored Bella and Charlotte. But after a few minutes of the show, even Charlotte seemed to be unusually fascinated by it. Bella groaned and flopped back on the bed, wishing—not for the first time—that she could sleep. The pull in her chest, tugging at her and insisting that she go find Jasper, was growing stronger and more painful.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked, swinging his head around to look at her. "Guns not your thing?"

"Not really," she said.

"We could play a game," Charlotte offered lazily, clearly not interested in doing so.

How odd, Bella thought. Charlotte had seemed to always want to play games.

"Nah, let's watch the show," Peter said, turning back to the television and sliding further down in his chair. Charlotte had moved from the chair and was now lying on her stomach on the bed, her head propped up on her hands as her gaze remained trained on the television.

Bella watched them both, puzzled. They looked...stoned. What the hell? She looked back to the television. Was watching people shoot things particularly hypnotic to vampires? She didn't feel it having any affect on her.

"I want to play a game," she said, just to see what they would do.

Peter sighed and looked back at her. "Fine. Whaddayawannaplay?" he asked, running his words together.

Bella narrowed her eyes. "Monopoly," she said, figuring it seemed to be one of their favorites.

"It's out in the car," Charlotte offered.

"I'll get it," Bella said, getting off the bed.

"NO!" Peter said, jumping. "No. You stay here with Charlotte." He appeared to have regained some level of alertness. He shook his finger at her and grinned. "You're not going to trick me like _that_, missy! Nope. No way. You can't fool Peter that easily!"

"_Okay_..." Bella said, puzzled.

"And don't pretend to be all innocent, either, little girl! You park your butt right here on the bed with Charlotte. I'll be back up with your Monopoly game before you know I'm even gone," he said, giggling.

He _giggled_.

Bella looked at him, starting to get worried. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Okay, Peter."

As soon as he was gone, the door slamming behind him, Bella turned to look at Charlotte. The little blond had ignored the entire exchange, her gaze still on the television, but her eyelids were drooping.

What the hell?

If she _was_ going to take off after Jasper, now would be the time to do it, Bella thought to herself. But she wasn't about to break her promise, no matter how hard her instincts were telling her to run and find him. And something was not right with his friends—her friends now, too, she supposed.

"Um, Charlotte, I'm gonna just run out and see if I can find Jasper," she said.

"Sure thing, hon" Charlotte said, not looking at her. "Just make sure you're back before Peter or he'll be mad at both of us."

_Okay_...

Bella shook her head and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and studying herself in the mirror for a moment. If Jasper was right, he should be back pretty soon, and then they could all leave. Her clothes were a little worse for wear after their encounter in the Prius that morning, and she'd like to freshen up first, too, before they left. A shower was definitely in order. She heard the outer door to the room open.

"Hey, Peter," she called through the door. "Forget the game. I want to clean up and change before we leave."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Jasper ran through the night, taking in the scents around him, searching for any tell-tale signs of vampires. He used his gift, too, reaching out and seeing who was around him in the dark. Humans...humans...humans...then nothing. A few smaller animals scattered into the darkness as he flew by them in the darkness, reaching the reservoir sooner than he thought he would. Maria wasn't there yet, and he paced back and forth along the dam waiting for her impatiently.

Finally, though, he could smell her scent coming to him from upwind. Smart woman, Jasper thought. She wasn't trying to sneak up on him…or even _appear_ to sneak up on him.

"Maria," he said, acknowledging her when she came within his hearing range.

"Jasper," she purred, finally visible in the darkness. He flinched away from her as she sauntered up to him. Unlike the night before, tonight she was feeling _more_ than a little friendly towards him.

"Where's your friend tonight?" he asked. "Having his hair re-braided?"

"I could ask the same of _your_ companion, Jasper," Maria said, reaching out to draw her finger down his chest. "This is twice you haven't brought her with you. Are you tired of her already? Or are you afraid I'll lure her away from you? She seemed more than a little fascinated by what I had to offer. Are you so sure she's content with the aberrant lifestyle you're forcing on her?"

Jasper stepped back and snorted. "You're one to talk about aberrant lifestyles, Maria. You could teach classes on it. And don't mistake natural curiosity for a desire to convert."

"Make sure you listen to your own advice, Jasper," she replied, her voice hardening. "And Abeo is..._hunting_, if you must know," Maria said, smirking. Something in the statement amused her, Jasper could tell—it amused her and made her feel smug.

"What—the never ending buffet back at the hacienda not enough for him?" Jasper asked.

"Oh, come now… A man such as yourself should appreciate the..._need_...for a more challenging hunt every now and again," Maria chided him, stepping forward. "Abeo is no different from any other man in that regard."

Jasper stepped back again and grabbed her hands, stopping them from trailing down his chest again. "I can't really imagine your friend, Abeo, working up the energy or the urge to hunt _anything_," he snarled slightly, remembering the man from the night before. The vampire had seemed more comatose than anything—quite unlike any vampire Jasper had ever encountered before. "And I have no intention of dancing with you tonight, Maria. So, back off."

"Of course, mi querido," Maria said, pouting. But she stepped away from him, clearly recognizing the threat in his voice. "So, tell me, mi querido, what news do you bring me from your new master?"

Jasper ignored her dig, maintaining his calm as he replied. "Carlisle says he has no intention of interfering in your activities as long as you do not attempt to extend your hold further north."

Fire flashed behind Maria's eyes at what she clearly considered a challenge issued. "I have no intention of moving further north anytime soon, Jasper," she replied smoothly, her words not matching her emotions. There was truth behind them, though. "You know I am most comfortable here in my homeland. The hunting is more than good here and the truces with my neighbors have held now for decades. Life is good for vampires here in the south, Jasper—not at all like it used to be."

"And your activities with your human..._pet_?" Jasper asked.

"Surely Carlisle is not criticizing my involvement with the human world?" Maria asked coyly. "A doctor of humans himself? And him having a human pet in his own coven, too, at one time—or was that just a nasty rumor going around?"

Jasper stiffened. Did Maria know, then, that Bella was the same person as the human she was referring to? He couldn't tell by her emotions. She was amused and still feeling that underlying smugness, but nothing had changed since she'd first arrived.

"Carlisle was merely curious, not critical," Jasper said. "He is concerned only with the possibility of our existence being revealed to the human world. And your..._consorting_...with your human and his cohorts is a much different matter than Carlisle's work as a doctor."

Maria tossed her hair. "Don't worry about me, Jasper, or about what Heriberto may or may not know. My activities will not expose our existence to the human cattle any more than your covens' activities will. Besides, my people are much more attuned to the world around them their Americano cousins. The existence of vampires among them would hardly come as a surprise to any of them."

Jasper knew this was probably true, but he refused to acknowledge that to her.

"Or maybe," she continued, her tone and emotions playful now, "maybe I'm planning to take over the human world now, Jasper. A big coup, yes? And then I can be Queen of Everything, not just of this paltry little corner of the desert."

It wouldn't surprise him if she _had_ considered just that after hearing of the fall of the Volturi, but her emotions matched her words this time.

Teasing.

Playful.

A side of Maria that he'd rarely seen before.

"Somehow I doubt you'd risk something _that_ foolish, Maria. Humans have become much more powerful in recent times."

"You are telling me nothing that I don't already know, Jasper—probably better than you!" she said, sober once more.

"Well, I guess you and I are done here, Maria," Jasper said. "You've found out what you've needed from me, and I have found out all I need to know from you. I'll let you get back to your new general, Heriberto. I'm sure he's _missing_ you tonight," Jasper sneered at her, pushing his disgust at her.

"And I should be letting you get back to _your_ little toy, Jasper—if she's still there, that is. Taking a risk, you are, assuming she'll wait patiently for you in some hotel room. She seemed rather feisty to me. She might have taken off on her own by now," Maria said, her smugness increasing.

Once more, Jasper ignored her dig, though he found it more difficult to ignore the emotions behind it. "Right. Goodbye, Maria. See you in a few decades—or _not_." He turned to walk away, but her previous words stopped him.

"Oh, and Jasper... Heriberto is not my new general. Silly boy, you can't imagine that you'd ever be replaced by a mere human, mi querido?" He spun around, but she'd already disappeared into the darkness, her laughter hanging in the air even as her scent faded with the speed of her departure. Her words, and accompanying emotions, replayed themselves rapidly in his head and a cold dread crept up his spine.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Peter had been right.

And then his phone rang.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I hope the American readers enjoyed your holiday weekend as much as I did. And I hope the rest of you enjoyed your plain ol' weekend. FFnet is allowing review replies again via PM, which feels bulky to me for some reason, but I'm doing my best in that area...

Thanks as always to my SuperBeta! Love you, hon.

_**Last week on "Chaotic Dynamics":**_

_"Oh, and Jasper... Heriberto is not my new general. Silly boy, you can't imagine that you'd ever be replaced by a mere human, mi querido?" He spun around, but she'd already disappeared into the darkness, her laughter hanging in the air even as her scent faded with the speed of her departure. Her words, and accompanying emotions, replayed themselves rapidly in his head and a cold dread crept up his spine. _

_Something was wrong, terribly wrong. _

_Peter had been right. _

_And then his phone rang._

**Chapter 20**

**CRACK**

"_One thing_, you fucker! I ask you to do _one thing_ and you fuck it up!"

**CRACK**

"Listen, asshole, I _told_ you she was a flight risk. And I'm not your fuckin' babysitter!"

**CRACK**

"She didn't leave on her own, fucker. She was taken! And you _are_ my fuckin' babysitter! You were _made_ to be my fuckin' babysitter, and don't you ever forget it!"

"_Stop it_! Both of you, _stop it_!" Charlotte screamed, throwing herself in front of Peter. Jasper was barely able to pull his punch at the last minute to avoid hitting her where she stood over Peter's fallen form. Peter, for his part, lay on the floor glaring up at Jasper and holding his shattered jaw together with one hand, the other hand upraised in an attempt to ward off further blows.

"Get out of the way, Charlotte!" Peter yelled. "I can fight my own damn fights, woman!"

"Apparently _not_, Peter, or you wouldn't be lying on the damn floor right now!" Charlotte yelled, not bothering to look back at him.

Actually, it was more of a matter of not being foolish enough to take her eyes off of the enraged vampire in front of her, his eyes pitch black and his fist still raised up, ready to strike again. Jasper's eyes darted between her and the vampire on the floor, his nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of venom and fear emanating from the both of them.

"Jasper," she said sharply, "it is _my_ fault Bella is gone, not Peter's."

"_Shut_ _up_, Charlotte!" Peter hissed, reaching up to try to grab her hand, but she shook him off.

"No, _you_ shut up, Peter. You weren't even in the room. _I_ was. It's my fault."

Jasper's demeanor relaxed a bit – barely noticeable but it was there. Charlotte took a step toward him, her hands out and her eyes down, trying to show that she was no threat. "Jasper, please, listen to me."

Jasper growled, causing Peter to growl.

"Dammit!" Charlotte yelled, stomping her foot again and looking up at Jasper, any attempt at calming him down gone out the window. "Don't you growl at me, Jasper Whitlock! I'm not your soldier anymore! Now you calm your ass down _now_ so we can figure out what the hell happened here!"

"I _know_ what happened here!" Jasper shouted. "They came in and _took_ her right out from under your noses!"

"Your mate ran out of here, probably to go on some damn fool rescue mission, that's what happened here!" Peter shouted at the same time.

"Arghhh! Both of you, shut up!" Charlotte yelled.

In the brief moment of ensuing silence, they could hear more than one human voice coming from down the hall.

"All of you shut up or we're calling the fuckin' cops!" seemed to be the overwhelming consensus on the third floor of the hotel.

"Shit," muttered Peter. He tentatively let go of his jaw and shifted it back and forth, checking to see if it had fused back together yet.

"We're not done here, fucker," Jasper hissed. "You're gonna pay for this."

"Yeah, like _I_ should be expected to control her when _you_ can't even do it yourself!" Peter hissed back. "And for the record, I'm _not_ your babysitter anymore, just like Charlotte is _not_ your soldier. Things change, Jasper," he finished, throwing Jasper's words from earlier back in his face. "Free choice and all that. She _chose_ to leave. Who am I to stand in the way of free will?"

"She didn't leave here by choice, Peter," Jasper repeated. "And would you care to tell me where _you_ were when all this – whatever 'this' is – took place? You just left Bella and Charlotte alone in here?"

Peter dropped his eyes, looking ashamed for a brief instant. "I went out to the car to get the Monopoly game."

"The Monopoly game," Jasper said, no emotion showing in his voice.

Peter nodded. "She said she was bored watching television and wanted to play Monopoly instead."

"Bella said she _wanted_ to play Monopoly," Jasper said, enunciating each word. "And you didn't think that sounded the least bit odd?" he asked in disbelief.

Peter nodded again, still not looking up at him. "Oh, I thought it was _plenty_ suspicious. She said _she_'d go get it out of the car. I figured that was just a ploy to try to get away," Peter looked up pointedly at Jasper, "so I told her to stay here with Charlotte and _I_ went out to get the game myself. When I came back, she was gone."

Jasper's gaze swung to Charlotte again. "And what was going on here in the room while Peter was going out for the Monopoly game?" The black rage had faded from his eyes, but his voice was still deceptively calm. Neither Charlotte nor Peter was fooled by that false calm.

"I was watching television," she said softly. "Bella went into the bathroom. I think she was going to take a shower..." The look on Charlotte's face grew puzzled. "And then Peter was here, asking me where Bella was. And then _you_ burst through the door, screaming and throwing punches."

"Watching television..." Now it was Jasper's turn to look perplexed. "And you didn't see her leave?"

Charlotte shook her head.

Jasper collapsed onto one of the chairs and dropped his head in his hands. Charlotte stepped up next to him and cautiously reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. Peter growled but she ignored him, and Jasper didn't show any response to either of them.

"Something's not right here, Jasper," she said quietly. "Something's off."

"There's nothing off here except his girlfriend," Peter said bitterly, jumping to his feet.

"Peter, enough!" Charlotte said firmly. "Get over your prejudice and look at the facts for just a minute."

"I have all the facts I need," Peter muttered.

Charlotte stomped her foot again, shaking the floor beneath them. "Dammit, Peter! Stop being an asshole long enough to use that brain in your head!"

Jasper chuckled hollowly and looked up. He looked devastated. "Yeah, Peter. Listen to your mate. Let's look at the facts. Fact – you can't even keep an eye on a single vampire. Fact – you're willing to push the blame for that _fact_ off on said vampire. Fact–"

"_You_ are just as big of an ass as _he_ is – _there_'s a fact for you, Jasper Whitlock!" Charlotte said, slapping Jasper on the back of his head. "And I'm about ready to leave and go find her myself if you two don't stop playing the blame game and start…oh, I don't know, looking at the _relevant_ facts and start making a plan. Because while it's a well known fact that you are both idiots, it would probably be better if you didn't make it relevant to the situation at hand. Now think about this – why the _Hell_ did I not see Bella leave? Because I most definitely do _not_ remember seeing her leave. I remember her going into the bathroom and shutting the door. And then Peter came in and Bella was gone."

"She went through a ceiling vent–" Jasper began.

Charlotte shook her head. "No, we checked. _I_ checked," she corrected herself, glaring at her mate.

"She just slipped out after Peter came in...?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No, the bathroom door was open when he came in – she was already gone. You are missing the point, Jasper. How could I have _not_ noticed her leaving?"

"That's what I'm asking _you_! How couldn't you notice that? You're a freakin' vampire, for God's sake!"

Charlotte sighed and rolled her eyes. "_Obviously_, Jasper. Think about it. Something is going on here. Something is not right! No matter _how_ she left this room, I should have noticed her leaving. I was lying right here on the bed, facing the television. I _should_ have noticed any movement by the door. But I do not remember noticing anything... In fact, I don't even remember noticing Peter leaving! I know he said he was going to get the game, but I didn't notice him leaving..." she trailed off, eyebrows raised expectantly as she watched Jasper process her words.

Both men grew quiet as they thought about what she was saying – _really_ thought about it – for the first time.

"That's not possible," Jasper said flatly.

"Exactly," Charlotte said. "But it happened. Unless you don't trust me to be telling you the truth."

"I trust you, Charlotte."

"How did you know she was gone, Jasper?" Charlotte asked gently. "Did Alice...?"

"Alice called, just seconds after Maria disappeared. I already knew something wasn't right – Maria, her emotions, her words. She was _different_ tonight. Then Alice called. She saw Bella there in the bathroom – saw her turn towards the bathroom door, saw her open it, and then...nothing."

"Nothing?" Peter asked, confused.

"Nothing. She's certain it's from Bella's shield going up, though," Jasper said. Alice had insisted it was because of the shield. None of them wanted to think it could be from anything else. "As long as that shield is up, Alice won't see her. And Bella won't drop it, not for an instant, if she's in any kind of danger."

"Or if she's just trying to hide what–"

"Enough, Peter!" Jasper snarled. "I don't want another word out of you about that. If that's what you honestly think happened here, then get the hell out now because you're gonna be worse than useless to me."

"I–" Peter hesitated, looking at Charlotte who was also glaring at him. He shut his mouth. "All right. If someone was here, there's gotta be a scent. I didn't notice one coming back in – did you?"

Jasper stood up. "No. I couldn't smell anything over the scent of that damn cleaner they use around here. It's all over the–" he stopped.

"They didn't clean in here today," Charlotte whispered.

All three vampires rushed to the door, hitting it at the same time, destroying what little was left of it from Jasper bursting through it a few minutes earlier.

"This way," Jasper hissed, running down the hall and wrenching open the door to a storage closet at the end. Inside was a cleaning cart and shelves full of supplies. The chemical smell of cleaner was stronger in here. They followed it back out into the hall and to the door to the stairwell. The smell led down the steps.

"I'm bettin' they weren't cleaning the stairs..." Peter said.

"I'm willing to bet you're right about that," Jasper said in return. He ran up the steps that led to the roof.

"Fuck," he whispered. "The fucker came in from the roof and jumped down to the landing. I smell him up here."

"Do you recognize the scent?" Peter asked. "You've seen what, three of her men?"

"Four. And no, I don't recognize it. But I think she's got at least two that I haven't met yet."

"So it might not be coming from Maria–" Peter started.

"Oh, it's coming from Maria all right. There is not a doubt in my mind about that." No sooner had he said that when they heard the sound of approaching sirens. Jasper jumped back down to the landing and they looked at each other.

"Think that's for us?" Charlotte asked.

All three of them turned to look back into the hallway at the trail of destruction they'd left.

"Could be..." Peter said.

"Quick, we gotta get our shit and get out of here," Jasper hissed.

"There's no time. We gotta go now before they're downstairs," Peter said, his voice barely audible.

"I'm not leaving our IDs and shit here," Jasper hissed back. "We'll go out the balcony. Your car is right there in the lot – the cops will park in front." He took off back down the hall.

"Sure," Charlotte muttered, "_now_ you guys decide to start whispering."

In the split second it took Charlotte to join the men back in the bedroom, Jasper had already shoved most of his and Bella's possessions back into their two duffel bags. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding a small pouch that had a long carry-strap.

"This proves she didn't leave willingly," Jasper whispered.

"Why? What is it?" Peter asked, reaching out to take the bag. Jasper pulled it back out of his reach.

"This is her Bond Bag," he said, putting the strap around his neck and shoving the small pouch down the front of his shirt.

"Her _what_? What the hell is a _bond bag_?" Peter asked.

Jasper looked at him and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It just tells me somebody took her. She never would have left it behind willingly."

"Okay..." Peter trailed off, wanting to ask more but then clearly deciding not to.

By now the cop cars had pulled into the parking lot at the front of the hotel. Even three floors up and at the opposite end of the building, they could hear the murmur of the police speaking to the hotel management. Peter looked around at the destruction in the room and then stuck his head out in the hall one last time to take a look. He let loose a growl and Jasper and Charlotte heard two doors slam further down the hall.

"Fuckin' humans!" he muttered, pulling back into the room. "Thinkin' you should have paid for a bigger buffer zone."

"Gee, ya _think_? Come on, let's go!" Jasper said, sliding the door to the balcony open silently. As soon as he exited the room, though, he froze.

"What is it?" Charlotte asked from right behind him, hesitating in the doorway and inhaling deeply. "Another one," she whispered.

Jasper nodded. "There were two. And this one I know. It's the guy with the dreadlocks – _Abeo_. Maria said his name was Abeo. He was with her last night."

"_And_the first night at the Embassy Suites," Peter said. "And Bella said he was in the compound too – in the warehouse." He, too, inhaled deeply, committing the scent to memory. "What was he doing on the balcony, though? Why didn't he come in? With two of them, the women would have been hard pressed to fight them off..."

Charlotte glared at him. "Thanks for your vote of confidence," she snapped.

"You were _right there_, Peter, don't forget, right below them in the parking lot. Didn't _you_ see anything?" Jasper asked. "And if there _had_ been any kind of struggle, you would have come running."

"I didn't notice anything, Jasper. Hell...I don't really even remember going out to get the damn game!"

Jasper shook his head. "Something is definitely off. But right now we gotta get out of here."

A second later they had all leapt off the balcony and were clambering into the Prius. Peter backed it up a couple feet in the parking spot and then gunned the motor – as much as was possible – and with a surge, they were moving forward. The bottom of the car scraped horribly on the curb as they lurched their way through the landscaping that separated the motel parking lot from the McDonald's next to it, but they managed to keep going. And then they were through the deserted McDonald's lot and out onto the all but empty main drag.

"At least there ain't much traffic at two in the morning," Peter observed. "How we gonna track this fucker if we're busy running away from the cops?"

"We don't need to track him. I know where I'm going," Jasper growled.

"Ah, good. So…you're back with us, Jasper? Got your shit together?"

"Fuck you, Peter. Just drive."

"And where, pray tell, _shall_ I drive? Just 'cuz _you_ know where we're goin', it don't mean _I_ know where we're going."

"Turn left up here on the highway. Drive south about 7 miles. Just past the water tower, there's a ranch gate on the right – pull in there and drive along as far as the damn car will take us. Turn off the lights when you do it. After that, we're on foot. We're going to Mexico, kiddies."

"Ah," Peter said. "Home, sweet home."

"Just _fucking_ wonderful!" Charlotte muttered, earning her a shocked look from both men.

Jasper didn't bother responding; instead he sank back into the back seat. Peter was right – the car stank. But at least it smelled like Bella. He tried to take some comfort in that while he planned exactly what he was going to do to every fucker that got in his way in the next few hours.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N I have been Review Reply fail all on my very own now...no excuses, except that I do HATE the new FFnet system. Also...I'm heading out on vacation tomorrow. So, next weeks update will not happen. While I may have wi-fi access along the way, I'm not going to have time to get the chapter prepared and all that good stuff. At least this one won't be so much of a cliffhanger...

Last week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_"Fuck you, Peter. Just drive." _

_"And where, pray tell, shall I drive? Just 'cuz you know where we're goin', it don't mean I know where we're going." _

_"Turn left up here on the highway. Drive south about 7 miles. Just past the water tower, there's a ranch gate on the right – pull in there and drive along as far as the damn car will take us. Turn off the lights when you do it. After that, we're on foot. We're going to Mexico, kiddies." _

_"Ah," Peter said. "Home, sweet home."_

"Just fucking wonderful!" Charlotte muttered, earning her a shocked look from both men.

_Jasper didn't bother responding; instead he sank back into the back seat. Peter was right – the car stank. But at least it smelled like Bella. He tried to take some comfort in that while he planned exactly what he was going to do to every fucker that got in his way in the next few hours._

Chapter 21

Jasper crawled out of the backseat of the car and pulled his phone out, dialing quickly. "Alice," he said when she picked up on the other end. "Talk to me - have you seen anything?"

"Other than you three crossing the river, no. Nothing. Nothing of you _or_Bella. With her, I'm still sure it's because her shield is up – I'm starting to get a feel for it, it's more fuzzy than actually blank. But with you...I'm pretty sure it's because you don't know what you're gonna do until you get there. Wherever 'there' is."

Jasper sighed.

"Carlisle wants to know if you need us to come down there to help – either all of us or just some of us," Alice continued.

"No!" he said sharply. "No. I don't know what we're heading into, and neither do you. I've got Peter and Charlotte with me..." he glanced over at the two vampires, who both nodded at him, "and we've got it under control. You all need to stay up there. I don't need anything else to worry about. I mean," he quickly amended, "we're heading into familiar territory down here–"

"Give or take a century or so," Peter grumbled.

"Familiar territory for _us_," Jasper clarified. "Just...keep watching, okay, Alice? I'm gonna turn my phone off to be safe, but I'll check as often as I can. I'm not sure I'll even have reception where we're going, though. Text me if you see something."

"Can you..." Alice asked, hesitating for a moment. "Can you feel her? You know where you're going?"

"Yes," Jasper said gently. "I can feel her pulling me after her. She's pulling me south, past Nuevo Laredo. I'm guessing they're taking her to Monterrey. Maria's home territory."

"Be careful, Jasper," Alice said quietly. "Bring her back. Bring _all_of you back," she said.

"I will, Alice." Jasper hung up and turned his phone off, returning it to his pocket.

"All right," he said, turning to Peter and Charlotte, "I wanna bury our stuff nearby. It's not gonna be safe to leave it with the car."

"You really think somebody is gonna mess with what's left of my poor Prius?" Peter said, looking between Jasper and the car doubtfully.

Jasper sighed. "It's not _your_ Prius, Peter. And it looks damn odd parked out here – I'm sure it's gonna attract attention. Everything out, everything buried! In fact," he looked at the car thoughtfully, "we should probably just _torch_it–"

"NO!" Peter said, shocking both Charlotte and Jasper. "I've, um, kinda grown attached to it," he added.

"No matter. We actually don't have time to mess with it. And who knows…we may need an escape car waiting for us when this is all over." Jasper pulled the duffle bags out and headed for a nearby pile of rocks. Charlotte grabbed her and Peter's things and followed him. Peter followed her and obligingly lifted one of the boulders out of the way, allowing Jasper and Charlotte to dump the bags in a hollow space beneath it.

"Okay. Now, Monterrey?" Peter asked, wiping his hands off on his jeans.

"No. First we're making a stop by Casa Coyote," Jasper said.

Peter looked at him but didn't say anything.

"We're not leaving anybody at our backs," Jasper said. "We'll clean that mess out, _then_head south."

"Uh huh," Peter said. "I'd think you'd be heading straight for _her_– not stopping along the way for bullshit."

"It's not bullshit!" Jasper said sharply. "Believe me, every instinct in me is yelling to run straight for Bella. But you and I both know _that_ could be a mistake. It could be exactly what Maria wants. I'm not making _any_mistakes, and I'm not leaving any loose ends as we go along. It won't slow us down but an hour or so. And we might find out some useful information," Jasper pointed out. "Somebody – probably that Abeo fellow – seems to have a little more going on for them, above and beyond the ability to drain a human of their blood."

"Maria's got talent working for her," Peter said, not bothering to remind Jasper how often he had argued against that very thing.

"Things change, Peter," Jasper said. "I guess I need to listen to my own advice."

"Whatever – _whoever_ –she's got working for her allowed her to take your mate without a struggle," Peter pointed out. "And she's a _shield_! We need to be extra cautious."

Jasper shook his head. "I know, and that's what really has me worried. That shield of hers is pretty strong – at least it has been against everything we've ever run up against. I find it hard to believe that whatever they used on her actually had any effect. If it was the same thing they were using on you and Charlotte...well, between what you were saying and the little bit that Alice saw, it seems like Bella was a bit more alert than you _or_Charlotte were."

Peter look puzzled. "Are you saying they just physically overpowered her? She seemed pretty tough, Jasper, even for her size, and there was only the one right there in the room. I suppose, though, if they were quick and got her by the neck, she'd probably give up right quick–"

Jasper shook his head again. "Not her. The last guy that grabbed her and tried to get a hold of her neck ended up losing _his_head. She's fast."

Now Peter just looked exasperated. "Well then, WHAT, Jasper? Are you saying she went along willingly? You don't think she's got some crackpot plan to use this to get in so she can rescue those humans, or have _you_ come down and rescue her and save those humans in the process, do you? I just _knew_she was gonna pull some stunt like this!" Peter was ranting by now.

"STOP IT!" Jasper growled at him. "I am _not_ saying that at all. Bella would _not_ do that. What I'm trying to say is there could be some other reason she didn't struggle, even if she _wasn't_affected by whatever it was that was affecting you and Charlotte." His eyes slid to Charlotte, and Peter's followed.

"Now, if he'd threatened her friend..." Jasper said, looking at Charlotte thoughtfully.

"It _was_sloppy work leaving Charlotte behind," Peter whispered, his voice broken. "Sloppy leaving me, too."

"Sloppy, yes, but if they wanted Bella to come along halfway _willingly_, they'd need some sort of leverage. If they'd threatened Charlotte, made a move towards her, they might have run the risk of Bella attacking. Bella has a long history of sacrificing herself for others, even back when she was human. Charlotte couldn't have fought them off in her condition – you, either. Remember, they probably weren't expecting anybody else to be there – and they might not even know who either of you are or what your relationship to Bella is."

Peter nodded. "Maybe. Maybe. It's something to keep in mind. Still, it's sloppy work."

Jasper shrugged. "Not everybody can be the consummate professionals that we are, Peter. We'll just have to be sure to point out where their sloppy work got them, right before we rip their heads off. So, are you two ready?" He looked between the two of them.

Charlotte nodded.

"I wanna know if _you_are ready, Jasper," Peter said. "You've got a lot riding on this – are you going to be able to think straight?"

"I've got _everything_riding on this, Peter. And I'm thinking straight right now. Although, I can't promise I will be the whole time. Another reason I need you with me, Peter."

"So, do you at least have some sort of plan?"

"Sure do – we cross the river, hit Casa Coyote, and start killing. And we don't stop killing till we find my mate."

"Great," Peter said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Just like old times."

"Except this time I care about the outcome," Jasper said.

"Well, that's something at least," Peter grumbled. "Makes me feel a little more optimistic for how this is all gonna end."

~~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~~

"_Eta svoloch Pueryedal Mnye mandavoshku_!" Bella screamed. "_Eta svoloch_!"

"I thought Maria said she was American?" the blond vampire said, sounding a little bit worried as he watched the brown haired girl's head scream angrily at them.

His companion cocked his head and watched her in curiosity. His curly black hair kept falling in his face and he'd push it back impatiently.

"_U menya strannaya sip na khuye_!" she screamed louder.

"I thought so too," he said slowly. "But she is speaking Russian. Are you quite sure you grabbed the right one? You said there were two – this one…and a small blond one. Perhaps it was the other one you were supposed to grab."

The blond shook his head. "It's _this_one. Quite sure. Maria had pictures. But the language... I don't know."

Bella glared at both of them.

"_U menya strannaya sip na khuye_!" she shouted again.

"You are both idiots," another male vampire said, strolling into the room. His tailored suit, neatly combed dark hair, and cultured bearing clearly set him apart from the two who had been discussing Bella's nationality. "She is not 'speaking' Russian. She is shouting obscenities at you."

"So?" the blond asked. "I'd be shouting obscenities, too, if I was trapped in that thing."

"I'm sure you would. But she just told us she has a rash on her dick, which I find highly improbable, not to mention not particularly on topic considering her current circumstances. I doubt she actually speaks the language at all. Isn't that right, _potaskukhu_?" He strolled over to Bella, who was glaring up at him from the block of concrete she was trapped in with nothing but her head showing, and reached up to stroke her cheek.

"_Yob tebya!_" she spat, snapping at his hand as best as she could with her limited mobility.

"Or maybe she does," he chuckled, stepping back. "That was certainly used appropriately in a sentence. Where are you from, _potaskukhu_?"

Bella glared at him, stubbornly refusing to speak any more.

He chuckled again. "As I thought. She doesn't speak it. She is merely parroting things she has heard in her past – and by the sounds of it, not a very illustrious past. No matter, _potaskukhu_, you will sing like a bird once Maria and her Abeo are here."

"Yeah, where _is_ her highness?" the blond asked, sounding surly. "She came by just long enough up in Nuevo Laredo to grab Abeo and take off again, and she said she was going to be right behind us. We had a hell of a time getting this bitch to hold still while we poured the cement. It took all four of us." The blond held up his arm, where several bite marks still dripped venom. "I'm gonna be wanting some payback for _these_, let me tell you! I wish Maria had never seen that damn movie – it would have been a lot easier to just rip the bitch apart and transport her that way."

The newcomer's eyes narrowed. "You best not have marked her, Josh," he snarled. "I'm sure that was the point of the concrete in the first place."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't lay a tooth on her, Natan. I'm not _stupid_. But I sure wanted to. And, just for the record, she was already pretty damned scarred up. From the looks of things, it wouldn't have been the first time she'd been ripped apart. So don't go blaming that shit on me. Any idea what Maria wants this one so badly for?" He glanced back at Bella, who continued to glare at all three of them. "I mean, she's a looker and all…aside from the scars...and sure, she looks to have been that Jasper dude's whore, but I'm thinking it would have been a lot easier for Maria to just _make_us a couple of women. It's not like we didn't have a big group to choose from. And we could have just trained 'em up from the beginning instead of having to try to tame this little puta. Ain't that right, Lucio?"

The black haired vampire snorted. "She probably just wanted her because Jasper had her first. She and Jasper go _way_ back from what I've heard. We got our bites compliments of Maria fighting over a toy with her ex. There's no 'great plan' behind any of this. Mark my words." He looked over at the girl in the box. "We're probably gonna just carve her up into little pieces and mail them back to that guy. Won't even get to fuck her first, with _our_luck."

"I don't wanna fuck her!" Josh said, continuing to rub the bites on his arm. "I just wanna pay her back for _these_! And that plan sounds good to me – I'll be first in line to do a little carving." He glared at Bella, who glared right back at him before spitting a glob of venom in their direction.

"Maria has not discussed her plans for the girl with me," Natan said. "And I suggest if you two know what's good for you, you'll stop your line of conjecture – both about Maria's plans for the girl and, more importantly, about Maria's personal life."

"Our line of _what_?" Lucio asked, confused.

"He means stop gossiping," Josh said. "Look, Natan, I gotta tell you…Lucio and I are both dying of thirst here. I ain't gonna lie - getting her down here took it out of us. I don't suppose you'd look after her for a bit while we whip up to the holding rooms and grab us a bit of something."  
Natan shrugged. "That is fine. She doesn't pose a problem now that she's tucked up all safe and sound in there."

"Great. We'll be back down in a few minutes. Really appreciate this, dude," Josh said, heading for the stairs with Lucio right behind him.

Natan watched them go and shook his head before turning back to Bella. "I suppose I understand Maria's desire to turn those boys – they're certainly good looking enough, not to mention eager to please – but I swear, between the two of them, they barely have one functioning brain. You, however, my dear..." he trailed off as he approached her, watching her carefully for signs of further venom being spit, "you are another matter entirely, aren't you?"

Bella just stared at him and said nothing.

"Yes, I would wager quite a bit that you are much more than what you seem. I wonder if Maria knows this or senses it, or if she's just bitten off more than she can chew." He reached out and knocked his knuckles against the concrete encasing her. "How are you enjoying your stay in here? Not a very original idea, I must say. Maria is not the most..._artistic_...of vampires. She thought it might work to hold a vampire, though, and she appears to be correct in that."

Bella's eyes flickered down at the concrete incasing her and then back up at him.

"I'm afraid Josh is correct about the source of Maria's idea. Her fascination with the 'modern' world has taken some interesting turns."

He rapped the concrete again. "There is nothing magical about it. Its only secret lies in the fact that you cannot move. And being held immobile, you cannot get enough leverage to break your way out – although it would be of no hindrance at all to a vampire on the outside who wanted to tear their way in. One of the disadvantages of the idea. Otherwise, she would have had to resort to the old-fashioned method of decapitation–"

Bella flinched before she could stop herself.

"Ah... Familiar with the practice, are we? Josh might have been correct in his assumption – a first, no doubt. Yes, well, that _is_ generally the accepted way – cheap, easy, efficient. And it takes care of most of the pesky powers the vampire might want to bring into play. _This_method, were you talented, would be of no hindrance to any such talent - another disadvantage it has. But it's not an issue in your case, hmm?" Natan looked at her expectantly, but this time Bella gave no indication that she heard or understood what he was saying.

"Well, I suppose time will tell. Maria is almost here… Any moment now, actually. And then you'll find out just why you've been brought here. I'm sure we'll _both_ find the answer enlightening. I must say, I rather hope you are hiding a few secrets of your own. So far I've been rather disappointed in Maria's idea of 'entertainment'."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

**A/N **For my birthday, Super Beta and MissMaj sent me a Russian-styled fur hat and a Dirty Russian Dictionary in honor of "Running". I decided to put the dictionary to good use in "Chaotic Dynamics", figuring Bella had probably picked up a bit of the language while lurking about in Siberia - or at least had heard it used! The phrases were written phonetically in English, which is good because I wasn't going to try messing with converting my keyboard to Cyrillic just for a few phrases.

_Eta svoloch Pueryedal Mnye mandavoshku – _That bastard gave me crabs

_U menya strannaya sip na khuye – _I got a strange rash on my dick

_Yob tebya – _Fuck you

_potaskukhu - _slut

Brownie points to those who guess what movie Maria's been watching!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **A big thank you to JaspersDestiny for her Beta skills, and to xTullyx for the spanish phrases she provided to Super Beta. And a slap on the wrist to the author for losing the original English for said phrases. Or, to be more truthful, for being too lazy at this early hour to look them up in the original rough drafts. SuperBeta said xTullyx made them 'flow better' rather than just a straight translation via an internet engine.

Hell, those two could be pulling the same thing on me Bella pulled in the Basement in the last chapter. For all I know, JaspersDestiny and xTullyx could have my characters reciting nursery rhymes in Spanish...

But I trust them.

And I'm rambling.

For those of you who guessed "Star Wars" for where Maria got her entombment idea, you were correct. I wrote it, then thought "this sounds vaguely familiar. Maria has been watching too much TV". Too bad she didn't pay more attention to what actually brought down the Evil Empire in the end...

**When we last saw Jasper, Peter and Charlotte:**

"So, do you at least have some sort of plan?" Peter asked.

"Sure do – we cross the river, hit Casa Coyote, and start killing. And we don't stop killing till we find my mate."

"Great," Peter said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Just like old times."

"Except this time I care about the outcome," Jasper said.

"Well, that's something at least," Peter grumbled. "Makes me feel a little more optimistic for how this is all gonna end."

**C****hapter 22 **

"Is that it?" Peter asked, studying the compound lying several hundred feet away from their current position. The building they were on had been abandoned some time ago, but it offered them a good view of their intended target from atop its three-story height.

"Yep. Behold Casa Coyote!" Jasper said, not taking his eyes off their destination. Charlotte silently paced around the perimeter of the rooftop they were on, watching for any signs that they were themselves being watched.

"What a stupid name." Peter snorted. "Sounds like something Maria came up with – she never was very clever at that sort of thing."

"It does," Jasper agreed, smirking. "But I think this set-up was here prior to Maria's arrival. Now, Bella and I went in through the main gate there," he said, pointing. "The house there is where I expect to find Heriberto at this hour of the night – assuming he's in residence. And he damn well better be or I'm gonna have to hunt his ass down when I'm finished with everything else. Fucker wanted my Bella." Jasper stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.

"That large building out back there is where Bella saw all the humans. The smaller one, there on the left, is where Heriberto stores his guns and shit. The smaller one on the right, neither of us went into it. Could be more humans – those pretty ones Maria paraded in front of us came from somewhere, and Bella said she didn't see them on her tour. I couldn't tell by scent alone – there's too much going on in the compound to sort out either scents _or_ emotions. It's a fuckin' cesspool on so many levels. They have to be keeping the ones for human trafficking _somewhere_, so that building might contain more humans. Or drugs. Or more guns."

Peter grunted, indifferent.

"Don't discount them, Peter," Jasper chided. "If that building is full of weapons, we need to be careful. _And_concerned."

"Guns." Peter grunted again, not impressed. "I ain't too worried about guns, Jasper."

Jasper sighed. "I'm not talking about us being shot at, Peter. I'm talking about shit blowing up – including _us_. If those two buildings blow, we could be in a world of hurt if we're standing too close. He's storing a lot more than just some Colt .45s in there. Show some respect, Peter. We don't want to torch the place until we're sure we can hightail it outta here. Not to mention, there are probably some hand-held devices down there that could put a dent in one of us if they decided it was worth blowing up their own place for."

Peter still didn't look too worried, but Jasper let it slide. There wasn't anything he could do right now to make Peter understand the possible dangers vampires faced in the form of modern weaponry. All he could do is hope his friends kept their heads about them once the shit hit the fan.

"All right, then. I want to go over the wall just to the right of the gate. We'll take out the guards at the gate first and then disable any electronic surveillance they've got going." He looked at Peter for a moment. Peter stared back at him, a blank look on his face. "Okay... I'll take care of that stuff. You and Charlotte take care of the guards. Even once I'm done, though, we gotta be aware that the rest of the compound is probably wired. People like Heriberto have backup systems. We can move too fast for a camera to pick up on us easily, and we can't be picked up on heat sensors, but we sure as hell can – and _will_– trigger any motion sensors they've got. So be prepared for this not being a surprise attack for very long."

He turned back to study the compound again. "After the guards at the gate are down, let's make a quick pass around the compound and take out any vampires that are there. I don't want any of us meeting up with one on our own. After they're taken care of, we'll split up–"

"I'm not splitting from Charlotte," Peter interrupted belligerently.

"I wasn't gonna ask you to, Peter," Jasper said, rolling his eyes. "I'll take the house, you two take the outbuildings. Kill all the human guards you come across. And no feeding until we're sure they're all dead."

"You don't have to tell me how to do my job, Jasper!" Peter said reproachfully. "You know I don't eat on the job."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I'm just–"

"Upset. I know. You sure you can handle the house by yourself?"

"Absolutely. There weren't very many guards inside when Bella and I were visiting – only two that I smelled. Plus Heriberto. Nothing I can't handle."

"And if there are vampires in the house?" Peter asked.

"Then...we'll know that before I go in. I'll be able to sense _that_ much through the mess down there. If that's the case, then we _all_ go in the house first, take them out, and _then_you two finish up the humans outside."

Peter nodded. "It's a sound plan," he said, sounding pleased.

It was Jasper's turn to snort. "Yeah, and like all sound plans, it's probably gonna go up in smoke two minutes into it."

"Well, the ultimate goal isn't gonna change," Peter said. "Kill them all."

"Right. Kill them all."

"And the rest of the humans? The ones in the cages?" Peter asked.

Jasper hesitated.

"Jasper, if you want… Charlotte and I can–"

"No!" Jasper said sharply. "I haven't decided what we're gonna do with them. But I _can_tell you one thing – having you two kill them all isn't even on the table as an option."

"Good," Charlotte said quietly from where she'd appeared beside them. "Because I'm not sure I could, even if you asked me to."

"All right," Peter agreed, nodding his head. "Don't touch the caged humans. Got it. Ready, babe?" he asked his mate.

"Ready," she said, nodding.

"All right. Let's go," Jasper said before jumping over the side of the roof.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Jasper thought he must have broken some sort of record. He was getting ready to enter the house, and so far the plan had gone off without a hitch. He wasn't sure he could remember any campaign he'd run that had gone according to plan for so long – which meant, he was sure, that when it blew up in his face, it would be all the more spectacular of an explosion. Until then, though, he was going to enjoy the 'success'.

They'd gone over the fence without setting off any sensors – whether by luck or skill, Jasper didn't know. And really, it didn't matter. They'd slipped into the guard house, and while Peter and Charlotte had quickly dispatched the three armed humans, Jasper had disabled the surveillance systems. As suspected, there were cameras, motion detectors, and heat sensors. He couldn't be sure that there weren't back-ups for one or all of the systems – if it was _his_compound, he'd sure as hell have back-ups – but no alarms had sounded in the night as they slipped out of the guard house two minutes after entering it.

A quick circuit of the compound had revealed the presence of only one vampire, in the large building. Jasper sensed him long before they got to the building, and they were able to slip in and tear him apart before he'd even realized he wasn't alone.

Well, he hadn't been alone. Not exactly. Bella hadn't exaggerated about the number of humans in the building. Jasper did a quick head count and realized they had almost 200 humans in large enclosures within the building. While their conditions weren't the rank squalor that he remembered Maria keeping 'her' humans in back in the days he was still with her, Jasper couldn't imagine that these were very comfortable. It was difficult for him to make an emotional assessment of them, though. There was an underlying feeling of despair, some pain, and a lot of fear. But it was strangely muted, as if he were viewing it – or feeling it – through frosted glass. The humans – most of whom were actually asleep – did not react at all to their presence or the destruction of their vampire guard. There had been no human guards present – just the lone vampire patrolling from an overhead catwalk.

"Why aren't they..._moving_?" Peter asked, looking down on the various pens below them.

"They're drugged," Jasper said. "I'm barely feeling any emotions coming from any of them."

"Drugged...or the same thing has been done to them that was done to me and Charlotte," Peter said.

"Maybe. Bella did say she saw the guy with the dreadlocks – Abeo – in here when she came in with Maria. But he's not here now, and they're still almost comatose. Even the ones that are deeply asleep aren't quite right..."

"I wonder where he is. I wonder where they _all_are," Peter said, tapping the hand from the dismembered guard against the rail of the catwalk.

"With Maria," Jasper said. "I'm betting she was willing to risk the loss of this place, or at least all right with the possibility of having to abandon it. She had to have at least suspected I'd be coming after her – even if Bella really was nothing more than a whore, Maria had to suspect that I'd not take kindly to being robbed."

"Something to remember when we get closer," Peter said, tossing the hand down. "She must have something that makes her not too worried about pursuit. Like that Abeo fellow."

"If Bella really was your whore," Charlotte said thoughtfully, "Maria might think you'd be happy with just destroying her set-up here. Tit for tat, sort of. She might think you'd just be happy with this and stop here – and not be willing to risk _too_much by following her too far into her territory."

"Good point," Jasper said, nodding. "If that were the case with Bella, I _might_ just stop here. Maria does know me…" he grimaced. "Too well. But she's made a serious miscalculation this time. I _am_following her down, and we'll just have to keep Abeo, and whatever his talent is, in mind when we get there. But now, I'm heading over to the main house."

"What about these humans?" Peter asked.

"Leave them. I told you before, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with them," Jasper said. "They'll be fine for right now. You two go finish taking out the humans. I'm gonna have a little chat with Heriberto."

"You didn't used to be so dramatic before you killed," Peter said, disapproval in his voice. "Chatting isn't your usual method."

"Maybe I've just never had much to say before," Jasper said. "Besides, I want to know just _how_aware the man is about what exactly he's had under his roof. Call it professional curiosity, if you must."

"If you say so. We'll come to the house when we're done?"

"Yeah. Wait for me on the roof, though, till I call you. Make sure I'm not interrupted."

"Got it."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

And that was how Jasper found himself at the front door of Casa Coyote, debating whether he should knock or just go right in. He smirked to himself, remembering Peter's remark only a few moments before about his newfound dramatic tendencies.

While he was trying to decide, he quickly turned his phone on. There was a text from Alice.

****Briefly saw Bella. She was spitting on a male vampire. She appeared to be restrained somehow but alive and in one piece. No clue about where, though. Never figured either of you for the dramatic type, but apparently you're well matched.****

Excellent. If Bella was spitting on people, then she was holding her own.

Jasper sent a quick reply and turned the phone off again.

So far, things had gone smoothly. He felt he deserved to be a bit dramatic. There was a difference between being overconfident and embellishing one's work a bit.

He was _embellishing_.

Just a little.

So, 'knock' it was.

The same human female that had opened the door for him and Bella opened it this time. Jasper wondered briefly if the woman slept on the floor of the foyer.

Or if there were cameras still operational in the area. He quickly glanced up at the two pointed at the door from the eaves, but there was no little light or slight buzz – undetectable to human ears – to indicate that they were still functioning.

Maybe her room was just located close to the door.

"I'm here to see Heriberto," Jasper said politely.

"M-m-master Heriberto is asleep," the woman stammered in heavily accented English.

"I don't mind waking him up," Jasper said, smiling at her and baring more teeth than most humans were comfortable seeing.

Apparently Heriberto and Company did not pay well enough for their employees to be willing to argue with a vampire. Jasper had no doubt the woman knew what he was, based on the fear she was emitting – directed at _him_and not her boss. At least more or less – enough for her to leave the door standing open while she scampered off for some hoped-for safety.

He stepped into the foyer and paused, inhaling deeply and taking in the scents of the house. Several humans, both male and female – a few scents he recognized from his earlier visit with Bella, while a few were new. Hmmm... Should he eliminate the guards first and then go for Heriberto, or go for Heriberto first? The first choice had the bonus of Heriberto hoping for a rescue that would never come. The second choice had Heriberto feeling that brief moment of relief when rescue came through the door, only to have it come crashing down on him when he realized that his rescuers were going to be of no help.

Peter was right. Drama wasn't Jasper's forte, and he found it to be a difficult choice. After a moment, though, he decided the second option sounded much more fun. Especially if they came in guns blazing.

Of course, if they came in with a flamethrower, he'd be in trouble. But flamethrowers were usually not a human's first weapon of choice. Not to mention the damage it would do to both Heriberto _and_the house. If they showed up with flamethrowers…well, then he'd just jump out of a window and let them burn the house down around themselves.

Part of him was itching to just get it over with so he could get to Bella. In fact, his instincts were screaming at him to just kill the men here and be done with it. But less than five minutes had elapsed since they'd entered the compound. And he really was hoping to glean some information from Maria's human before killing the man. In spite of the danger his mate was in, the military part of him remembered his mission. And part of that included finding out just how much Maria had revealed to the humans she associated with.

And...the man had wanted Bella. He had had the nerve to think he might actually _have_her.

Despite his fear for his mate, he knew that Maria was not going to kill her. Whatever Maria wanted with Bella, she needed her alive for it. She wanted Bella for some reason, some specific reason, that probably did not include Jasper. If she'd just wanted to destroy Jasper's latest female, she would have left bits and pieces of Bella spread out in a trail leading him on. No, she wanted Bella alive and in one piece. Alice's text just confirmed it for him. That gave Jasper the leeway he needed for what he was about to do. Ten minutes, tops. Ten more minutes, and then he'd be on his way south.

And when it came right down to it, he rather thought Bella would enjoy a rescue story with a little flare to it. She'd been harassing him to loosen up, get in touch with his creative side…that sort of shit. What better way to do that than to embellish a little in his original line of work? He felt good about this – start with the familiar, and work from there.

Creative Killing 101. Maybe next year he could take up needlepoint. Or watercolors.

Standing at the end of the bed and staring at Heriberto felt _very_ creative. Vampires did this all the time in the movies. He could definitely see the appeal. Without using his gift to speed things up, it would be interesting to see how long it took having a predator stare at him in the dark as he slept before Heriberto woke up. How good were human senses, in all actuality? And when he _did_awaken and realized he wasn't alone...that would be pretty funny, too. Yep, he could definitely see the appeal.

That line of thinking, though, led him to remember how his brother had watched Bella sleep back when she was still human. Had Edward stood at the end of the bed like this? He'd always said it was because he was trying to desensitize himself to her smell. And because she'd talk in her sleep. And it was the one time he felt like he had a glimpse into her mind.

But really, she'd been his singer…so how much of that staring had been actual _stalking_? Had Edward stood there, much as Jasper was standing here, predatory, waiting, contemplating the possibility of a kill...?

He knew it was ridiculous. She'd been Edward's mate, and his brother never would have hurt her – at least not after the initial shock of meeting his singer. But still, she was _his_mate now. And the mere idea of someone standing over her...like this...ridiculous as it was...

A small growl slipped out and Heriberto was startled out of his sleep, sitting up in bed and pulling a gun from under his pillow in one swift movement. Jasper was impressed in spite of himself.

"¿Cómo entraste aquí?" Heriberto asked in Spanish.

"Through the front door," Jasper answered pleasantly.

"You'll be leaving in a bag," Heriberto said, his voice cold and emotionless.

"Oh, I don't think so," Jasper said and took a step forward.

Heriberto fired. Jasper had to admire the man – he did not mess with dramatics but went straight for the kill. Obviously a stranger in his bedroom at this hour would not be there on a friendly visit, but so many humans would let curiosity – or just their simple humanity – rule their actions. There would be questions, talking, a basic need to convince themselves to not shoot. But not Heriberto. The man was a killer, and Jasper could respect that.

Too bad it wasn't going to do him a damn bit of good in the end.

Heriberto cursed in Spanish when the shot clearly had no effect. He fired twice more, and Jasper stepped back, afraid that a ricocheting bullet would end his fun before it had really gotten started. Part of him wondered what caliber weapon Heriberto was using. He and Emmett had gotten into some heated arguments over the effect that modern ballistic weapons would have on vampires, but Carlisle would never let them buy any of the more dangerous and illegal types in order to find out. The fear of Carlisle finding out after the fact had prevented them from even sneaking off and trying it on their own. He made a note to check all the guns when it was over, just so he could let Emmett know.

He heard movement and shouting in the rest of the house and knew that reinforcements would be there soon, drawn by the shots.

"Who are you?" Heriberto whispered. There was still no fear in his voice, though, and Jasper felt no fear coming from him. Puzzlement, curiosity, aggravation. But not fear.

Foolish, foolish human.

"Una mejor pregunta podría ser: ¿qué?," Jasper said, switching to Spanish, his tone remaining pleasant and civil.

Behind him, the door burst open and three men – presumably guards – poured into the room. There were two more guards remaining in the hall. They flipped the light on, causing Heriberto to have to try to blink away his suddenly blinded state.

Jasper had no such problem.

"YOU!" Heriberto cried once his eyes had adjusted to the light. "Kill him!" Heriberto ordered.

Their guns fired. No hesitation. Again Jasper was impressed. It was good to have men such as these under your command. Not so good to _be_those men…not here, not tonight. But still.

He let the rush of disbelief pour out of them as he stood, unmoved, by the bullets that bounced off him, their interrupted trajectories sending them off around the room on new and unexpected journeys – one of which, unfortunately, took out one of the shooters himself. The man went down with a cry, and based on his emotions, Jasper wasn't sure if the sound was from pain or surprise as the bullet ripped through his side. Either way, the man was down and wouldn't be playing any further part in the scene.

He gave the men a second to contemplate what had happened, as well as take in the sight of their fallen comrade, before he attacked. The first two dropped with broken necks before the third even had time to turn towards him and start firing again. He joined his friends on the floor, next to the victim of friendly fire, who lay groaning and bleeding out in a pool of his own blood. Jasper was out the door and had the other two guards, who'd been lurking in the hallway uncertainly, tucked under his arms in an instant. They were having a hard time breathing already – evidently his grip was a bit on the stronger side.

They flopped around and gurgled in protest. One had dropped his gun as soon as Jasper grabbed him, but the other managed to retain his until Jasper dragged them back into the room. Heriberto was out of bed now, attempting to edge towards the door, his gun still pointed at Jasper.

At this point, however, Jasper had stopped being impressed by the man's lack of fear and had decided that Heriberto just wasn't..._quite right_. The man he held under his right arm gave a particularly violent lurch and somehow managed to swing his gun up and fire it.

Unfortunately, the bullet came nowhere near his intended target, instead hitting his boss in the leg, dropping Heriberto to the ground.

Jasper gave an exasperated sigh. He dropped the guard on his left, who'd ceased to struggle, and dragged the other one up so he could look him in the face. "NOW see what you've done?" he growled before forcing the man's head around so he could get a look at Heriberto where he lay on the floor, one hand holding his leg where the bullet had entered, the other still gripping the gun. "NOW he's in pain, and he isn't going to be able to focus on the questions I need answers for. NOW I'm pissed off!"

"I am answering nothing for you," Heriberto snarled, pain showing in both his voice and carriage.

Jasper snapped the guard's neck and dropped him.

"Oh, I think you might," Jasper said and carefully picked the remaining living guard back up. The man was starting to regain consciousness, so Jasper helped him along with a good dose of alertness. The man responded with a start, freezing instantly when he realized where he was.

"Now, I thought I might torture one of your friends. Sort of an example, you know? An 'answer my questions or you're next' sort of thing." Jasper glanced around at the dead bodies surrounding him. "Luckily I have one left, so I can still try that."

"I am answering nothing! I care not what you do to him. Kill him, kill me. You'll get nothing from me!"

Jasper shrugged. "No matter. I wasn't actually going to carry through on the whole torture thing. Bella wouldn't like that. Not at all. And I can't have her mad at me when this is all over. After all, I have no way of knowing for sure who amongst your men has done what, who deserves a little something extra before death, and who was just trying to earn a decent living to feed his family. So, it's a simple death for everybody, just to be safe." He snapped the remaining guard's neck before dropping him.

Heriberto watched the man fall and said nothing. Jasper closed his eyes and extended his senses outward. The other inhabitants of the house were no longer inside. Jasper relied on Peter and Charlotte to deal with them.

"Alone at last," Jasper said, opening his eyes and staring at Heriberto. He knew his eyes must be completely black now due to the puddle of slowly congealing blood from the almost dead soldier combining with the aroma of the fresh blood coming from Heriberto's gunshot wound. It was so much easier now to be around human blood, even without Bella shielding him. Having nobody else's blood lust to deal with but his own helped, too. He inhaled slowly, enjoying the flavors in the scents that flowed around him, even though he had no intention of partaking in them. As much as he wanted to.

It was bad enough that he was going to be later than he wanted to be in rescuing his mate. There'd be hell to pay if he showed up with red eyes. An entertaining story revolving around the delivery of justice was one thing; stopping for a bite of the forbidden fruit was quite another.

A split second later, he was crouched in front of Heriberto, ripping the gun from the man's hand and throwing it across the room before grabbing him by the throat – gently this time. He needed him conscious.

Preferably conscious _and_afraid. But evidently that wasn't going to happen, not even now. Jasper was a little put out. This is why he never bothered with the drama – it never turned out like you wanted it to. He was also a little disappointed.

"Now we can talk," he told the human.

Heriberto spit on him. "Never!"

Jasper wiped the spit off. "Oh, I think you will. Beginning _now_!" It was time to change tactics and finish this thing. He flooded the man with the urge to cooperate. He sent so much goodwill and need to cooperate that he figured Heriberto would drop to his knees and beg to blow him if Jasper asked him to.

There was no change in the man's face, but Jasper could feel the shift in his emotions.

"What are you doing to me?" Heriberto whispered. And for the first time, Jasper felt a trickle of fear come from him. _Interesting_. Too bad he didn't have time to do some experimenting.

"I'm..._special_. Did Maria neglect to mention that?" Jasper asked. "I bet that's not _all_she has neglected to mention."

"I know what you are…what _she_is," Heriberto said, continuing to whisper.

"Good, good. I figured as much. That saves us a lot of time. You know what I am, and now you know what I can do. And you know that you'll tell me what I want before I kill you. Right?"

Heriberto nodded, fighting himself every moment but unable to stop himself from wanting to please Jasper.

"Right. First, did Maria tell you about us?"

"I knew what she was the first time I saw her," Heriberto said. "_Civatateo_. I learned of them as a boy from my grandmother's people. I confess, I always thought they were supposed to be old and ugly, not young and beautiful. But who was I to argue? You understand, I'm sure – you shared her bed, too, did you not?"

Jasper ignored this.

"You knew, but you allied yourself anyway? You seem like you were a fairly canny businessman and leader in your time. Did this really seem like a wise decision?"

"Who doesn't want to be immortal?" Heriberto asked in reply.

Jasper snorted. He probably didn't need to point out the slim chances of that happening now. "Of course. So, she offered this gift of immortality? In return for what?" He pushed more cooperation at the human.

"Protection."

"Protection? From WHAT?" Jasper asked in disbelief. Of all the answers he could have received, that was not one he would have expected.

The man started laughing, and Jasper growled in frustration.

"You'll find out soon enough, vampire. That whore thought to double cross me in her quest for power. It's a move she'll regret, and you along with her. I may be dead where I sit, but your afterlife just became a lot more difficult."

In hindsight, Jasper had no explanation for what happened next. He personally blamed it on the stress he was feeling at his mate's absence, clouding up his judgment. That, or the fact that the man's words had surprised him enough that he wasn't paying attention.

Not that he would ever admit _that _to anyone.

Before he could react, Heriberto pulled a pistol from out of nowhere and shot himself, blood and brain matter exploding against Jasper's face.


	23. Chapter 23

Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_"You'll find out soon enough, vampire. That whore thought to double cross me in her quest for power. It's a move she'll regret, and you along with her. I may be dead where I sit, but your afterlife just became a lot more difficult."_

In hindsight, Jasper had no explanation for what happened next. He personally blamed it on the stress he was feeling at his mate's absence, clouding up his judgment. That, or the fact that the man's words had surprised him enough that he wasn't paying attention.

Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.

Before he could react, Heriberto pulled a pistol from out of nowhere and shot himself, blood and brain matter exploding against Jasper's face.

Chapter 23

"Where's Charlotte?" Jasper asked when he exited the house and found Peter waiting for him in the courtyard.

"She's making one last pass around the compound. She'll be here in a second."

That told Jasper all he needed to know. Peter wouldn't let his mate run around if he thought there was even the slightest chance of there being any danger left in the area.

"We killed everything in a uniform – and a few out of uniform that looked like they should die too. A few folks came running out of the house not long after the first gunshots, but I let them go. I don't hold with killing old women that have pissed themselves out of fear. What the hell happened to you in there?"

Jasper gave him the brief version of what had transpired in the house.

"So...Heriberto just shot himself? Put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger? Why the hell would he do something like that?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"In his mouth, but yeah... That shit went everywhere. And why _not_ kill himself? It's not like he wasn't going to die anyway. I guess he wanted it on his terms."

"I'm impressed, Jasper. All that blood in there and you didn't indulge," Peter said, studying Jasper's eyes, which were still black from fury. Or hunger.

"Yeah, well, I had other things on my mind at the time. Like getting some answers. Which I didn't seem to be able to do worth a damn." Jasper growled in frustration.

"Well, you win some, you lose some. We'll wrap it up here and go get your Bella back. You got a little bit of something..." Peter gestured on his own face, swiping at his cheek, "right about here."

"Thanks," Jasper grunted, reaching up absentmindedly and using the back of his hand to wipe the mess off his face, managing to smear it across his mouth in the process.

Oops.

Peter felt Jasper's hunger spike as a low growl erupted in his chest.

"Uh...Jasper?" Peter said, looking concerned. "You, uh, you all right there?" A rhetorical question. Peter knew he wasn't.

Jasper didn't answer. Instead, the growl became louder as Jasper turned and stalked away from Peter.

"Uh, Jasper? You need to stop. Stop right there!" Peter reached out and grabbed Jasper's upper arm, swinging him around. "Not that I'm not right there with you, my friend, but you are gonna regret this when it's over–"

With a snarl and snapping of teeth, Jasper swung out with his free hand and punched Peter hard enough that Peter stumbled backwards and let go of him.

"Or maybe you won't," Peter grumbled. He hesitated for a moment, torn between letting his friend do what anybody would consider only natural – well, anybody that was a vampire anyway – or doing the right thing and stopping an event that he knew would only bring guilt and remorse once the blood stopped flowing.

"Aw, man. I'm gonna regret this even if you don't," he muttered before launching himself after Jasper. Jasper hadn't made it too far across the grounds, clearly having some trouble deciding which of the buildings would offer him the best choice for dining. Lost in the blood lust as he was, he never saw Peter coming until Peter tackled him onto the ground. In the split second before Jasper flung him off, Peter had managed to shove a handful of sand into Jasper's face, ramming it into his mouth and up his nose.

"PETER! What the hell are you doing?" Jasper shouted, choking on the words through the sand in his mouth. He started spitting it out, gagging and choking. And to make matters worse, he found himself having to blow his nose – a vampire first, no doubt, he would think later when he was able to look back on it and laugh. But in the heat of the moment, the feel of sand and venom being expelled from his nose wanted to make him vomit. Or kill something.

"Had to stop you somehow, man. You were going to go on a feeding frenzy," Peter said. "And you accused _me_ of wanting to eat on the job!"

"Yeah..." Jasper said vaguely. He shook his head, trying to dislodge more of the sand, and then to his horror, he sneezed. Repeatedly. A disgusting mixture came out of his nose, but when it was over he felt like he could at least smell properly again. For a moment he thought he was in the clear, the remaining messy mixture of sand, blood, venom and Heriberto's brains that he could smell not nearly as thirst-inspiring as it had been. He started to wipe his face off with his hand but then froze.

He wasn't going to make _that _mistake again. He brought his arm up and wiped his face on his sleeve instead.

Seeing what he was doing, Peter rolled his eyes. "You are _so_ uncouth. Now that shit is just smeared around more. Try using the bottom of your shirt instead. It works better."

It was Jasper's turn to roll his eyes, but he pulled his shirt up and did it anyway. It might have worked, too, if the shirt hadn't already been soaked in blood. It might have cleaned his face up, but it also managed to put the taste of blood back on his lips. A different time, a different place, and he might have been able to ignore it. Maybe. Maybe not.

Combined with the scent of fear and the beating hearts of the humans that suddenly came stumbling from around the corner of the house, he didn't stand a chance.

The humans were either still feeling the effects of their drugging or they were in shock. But even if they'd been alert and running for their lives, it wouldn't have mattered. Jasper was on them before they were even aware of him, his first victim on the ground and already being drained. The young man never knew what hit him. Literally.

The rest of the humans stared in shock, the scene before them waking them up from their stupor a little bit, and they began to mill about in mild panic, some of them even managing to break into a run. Unfortunately for them, the gates of the compound were still locked.

More people appeared from the same direction as the first group, looking just as dazed – until they caught sight of the feeding vampire draining one of their own in the dirt in front of them.

Peter had started moving in Jasper's direction, thinking he could perhaps grab the vampire when he finished his first meal. But Jasper was faster, taking down an older woman and latching on to her neck before Peter could stop him. Peter sighed and stepped back, making sure to stay out of Jasper's attack range. Despite his caution, Jasper still looked up from his meal and glared suspiciously at him, growling. Peter held his hands up in a placating fashion and backed up a few more steps.

Another group of humans appeared and they erupted into the same panic as the ones before them. Peter was reminded of chickens trapped in a coop with a fox, running around flapping their wings and screeching. It was almost funny. It didn't take a genius to figure out where they were all coming from, and with a sigh he headed around the corner to see if he could stop any more from appearing on the scene. Not that Jasper would be able to eat them all. But he had a feeling his old comrade-in-arms was going to be willing to give it the old college try.

Sure enough, another group was pouring out of the large warehouse.

"Goddammit, woman!" he shouted, knowing she'd be able to hear him even over the screeching of the humans that were currently parting before him like the Red Sea. "I TOLD you to leave those damn cages locked!" Behind him, Jasper growled at him again. Peter spun around. "And YOU shut up! Tend to your meal, asshole!" Turning back to the warehouse, he shouted at Charlotte again. "Get your ass out here, woman, and help me! You've got a hell of a mess to straighten out!"

An instant later, she was by his side. She surveyed the chaos of milling, screaming humans in confusion. "What the hell is going on out here?"

"What the hell is going on out here? What the hell is going on in THERE! I thought I said we were leaving them in there!"

"Yeah, well, I overruled you! I just couldn't leave them in there! This whole place is going to have to go up in flames, you know that. I can't burn a lot of innocent people like that. I couldn't! I didn't know you two were going to start eating them as fast they came out!" She looked at Peter, clearly daring him to argue with her.

"I'm NOT feeding, if you'll notice. It's just Jasper..." Peter trailed off, realizing Charlotte was not really in the mood to hear his reasoning.

At that moment, Jasper went flying by them, chasing a pretty young woman who was shrieking in fear. But those shrieks cut off in a bloody gurgle as Jasper caught her.

"Jesus Christ, he's feeding?" Charlotte yelled. "What the hell? Stop him, Peter!" A group of screaming humans ran past them, blocking their view of Jasper for a moment and stirring the smell of fresh blood enticingly in the air.

"YOU stop him! YOU'RE the one that opened the cages!"

"I'm not gonna stop him! He'll _bite_ me!"

"He'll bite me too! He's gonna stop on his own in few minutes anyway. A man can only eat so much, even a _starving _one." Peter was starting to feel a bit peckish himself, what with all the thirst Jasper was projecting willy-nilly around the compound now. He'd almost forgotten how much Jasper enjoyed a good feeding. He didn't need a mirror to know his own eyes were darkening. He started off in the direction of the last group of humans.

"Oh, no you don't, Mister!" Charlotte said, grabbing his arm and yanking him back to her side. "If you're so damn hungry, you can finish up one of the guards. I'm pretty sure some of them are still warm."

Peter looked at her, more than a little offended. "THAT," he said, "is disgusting. Jasper is having fresh; Ain't no reason I can't too."

"JASPER is NOT in his right mind at the moment," Charlotte said firmly. "And YOU are. Or at least as much as you ever are. We are NOT feeding from these..._people_. We can get something on the way out of town."

"But," Peter protested, "you're not suggesting we're just going to let them go. I mean, LOOK at that!" He waved his hand toward Jasper, who had finished the girl and was standing now, holding her limp body and clearly looking for another victim. "He's not even FINISHING them!" Peter shook his head in disgust. "Such a fucking waste. But they're all _seeing_ what's going on. We have to kill them all."

"Peter," Charlotte said, her voice still firm. "They are all drugged and half out of their minds with fear. NONE of them are going to be able to give a coherent account of what is going on here. We are NOT killing anybody. We are going to wait till Jasper finishes, then we're going to open the gates and chase them all out, and then we're going to send this place up in flames."

Peter sighed. _Women_. They were going to be the death of him. Charlotte acted like they were going to be rounding up chickens – which, really, fit in with his fox and hen analogy. "All right, all right. We'll do it your way." Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. "Aw, man!" he said, turning to see Jasper take down another young man. "I had my eye on that one! Damn Jasper, he always was a meal stealer…"

"How many does that make?" Charlotte asked.

"Umm...that would be number four," Peter said, trying not to pout. In his book, pouting was definitely not something a vampire should do. But he was finding it hard to fight off. Almost as difficult as the blood lust.

"Well," Charlotte huffed. "That is just...ugh. That is certainly more than enough. It's not like he was REALLY starving to begin with." She marched over to where Jasper was latched on to his latest victim. He saw her coming towards him and started to growl, not bothering to let go of his meal. Charlotte ignored the sound.

"Don't you growl at me, Jasper Whitlock!" she snarled back at him. "We don't have time for this shit. Your MATE needs you. NOW! So enough of this bullshit. I understand you haven't had a decent meal in decades, but that's no excuse for this sort of behavior." She grabbed his ear and dragged him upright – or at least as far as she could, considering her short stature.

Jasper had stopped growling at the word mate and finally dropped the still twitching body of the young man, allowing Charlotte to drag him up.

"Just LOOK at you!" she continued, on a roll now with her tirade. "Covered in blood and brains and mud. You are a MESS! What would Bella say if she saw you right now? Hmmm?"

Jasper's hands slowly rose to his face, his now-red eyes closing as he trailed his fingers across them, leaving a trail of smeared blood behind. Charlotte didn't have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking now, not with the tide of guilt that rolled over her from a very obvious source.

"And do not even START throwing that guilt around, Jasper. That is BULLSHIT. Your Bella is NOT going to judge you for the color of your eyes when you show up to rescue her. She might even forgive you the state of your appearance! But I'M the one who has to ride in a car with you for the next few hours, and I'll be DAMNED if I do it breathing that stink you've got all over you. You go inside and get yourself cleaned up, and Peter and I will take care of this mess. You have five minutes. Now MOVE it, Mister!"

Jasper opened his eyes and seemed to come back to himself – at least enough that he was able to give her a smirk and a half-assed salute. "Yes, ma'am!" he said before disappearing back into the house.

Charlotte turned to find Peter looking at her in awe. "What?" she snapped at him.

"You. That was impressive. _Foolish _but impressive."

Charlotte snorted. "It was neither. You are just clueless when it comes to handling men. Now come on. I've opened all the cages, but I want to make sure there aren't any people hanging back. Then we have to go empty the other building." She looked at one of the smaller warehouses in distaste. "I have a feeling that one will be a lot more difficult..."

"I'll take care of that one. You don't need to see that shit," Peter said.

"By 'take care of', you better not mean 'drain', Peter."

"I mean no such thing," Peter said, affronted. "I mean I'll get them out. I mean don't worry about them. I mean you take care of _them_," he waved his hand at the confused humans that continued to mill around, "and I'll take care of _them_," he said, waving toward the building.

Charlotte nodded slowly. "All right, then. But I'm watching you, buddy."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Yes, ma'am," he said, mimicking Jasper's voice exactly.

Peter found it impossible to complete his self-assigned task in the time allotted. After five minutes, he'd barely been able to evaluate the situation let alone enact any half-formed plan he might have had. Jasper, who was now cleaned up and wearing what looked to be one of the former guard's uniforms, found him standing in the doorway of the smallest warehouse, staring out across the compound at the last of the humans making their way through the gate, Charlotte chivying them along like they were sheep.

"Problem?" Jasper asked, well aware that something was horribly wrong based on Peter's emotions.

"Yeah...you could say that." Peter didn't look at Jasper. "I thought Maria was one sick bitch back when we were with her in the Southern Wars, but she's really surpassed herself with this mess..." He gestured behind him. Jasper looked over his shoulder at the empty room.

"It's empty," he said needlessly. And it was. Just the bodies of the guards they'd killed earlier were lying on the floor with their heads at odd angles on their shoulders.

"Yeah, all the good parts are downstairs. It's like a rat warren down there." They'd known there were humans below them on their first pass through the compound, but they also knew there were no vampires down below. Moving a couple desks over the entrance had solved the issue at the time. "I had to take out another 11 guards. Not that they were a problem."

"So...what do you propose we do about it based on what you saw down there?"

Peter turned to glare at him. "This is YOUR mission, Jasper. You tell ME what we should do with this nightmare! Don't you have a plan for this, Jasper? Where's your Great Idea, huh? Weren't we stopping here so you could tie up some loose ends? Well, there are about 30 loose ends down there," he stomped on the ground for emphasis, "that need tying up! And so far, you haven't liked any of my 'proposals'. So, you tell ME, what are we going to do about it?"

Jasper's shoulders slumped. "Yeah. You're right. This is fucked up."

"You got that right!" Peter said. "Fuck. Here comes Charlotte." He looked from his mate and back to Jasper. "She cannot go down there. I won't allow it. You go look, Jasper. Go look and tell me what YOU think we should do."

Jasper nodded and retreated into the building. Charlotte walked up. "Ready?" she asked Peter.

"Not so much, no," Peter said. "Jasper's gone down to take a look. He'll be back in a moment with some marching orders for me."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's just go join him now. Get things done faster. I don't understand what the problem is, Peter. All you had to do was go down there–" She made to push past him, but his arm shot out to stop her.

"NO!" he said, pulling her back outside. "You are NOT to go down there. Understand?" He stared at her, his eyes hardening with the order.

"A-a-all right," she stuttered. "Of course. I'll wait here. Is it…" she hesitated a moment, "is it _that _bad? Really?"

"Really."

"Worse than being in Maria's army?" she asked, eyebrows shooting up. There wasn't much she hadn't seen or done – as participant or victim – back in that time that she wished to forget on a daily basis.

Peter considered her question for a moment. "Probably not," he finally allowed. "But I don't want you seein' it now. Okay? You've had enough horror in your life to last you an eternity. Let me at least spare you from adding any to your memories. Please?"

"Of course." She reached out to stroke his cheek. "Of course, Peter. Can I do anything up here to help? Get a truck or something, maybe? Some sort of transportation to help get them out of here?"

"That won't be necessary." Jasper's voice came from behind them. "There's no need to be transporting anything."

Peter swung around to look at him. "What do you mean, Jasper?"

"I mean," Jasper said, almost too calmly, "that we won't be transporting anybody else out of here."

Charlotte looked at him in horror. "What did you do, Jasper? Tell me you didn't drain them–"

"I did not drain any of them," Jasper said, still eerily calm. There wasn't even anything leaking through from his emotions, much to Peter's surprise. "There was nothing salvageable down below. I merely ended the misery as humanely as I could."

"This from the man who not ten minutes ago drained four captives and advocated killing the whole compound full of fairly healthy humans earlier in the night?" Charlotte said. "Where'd you find your compassion hiding, Jasper?" Peter snarled at her in warning and pulled her behind him, preemptively protecting her from the possibility of Jasper striking out at her words.

Jasper merely turned his head a bit to look at her. "Killing is not torture. I've never been a fan of torture, Charlotte. And certainly not since you and your mate saved me all those years ago. I did what I had to do. There was no saving them – not easily, not quickly…probably not at all…and certainly not in the time frame I'm working under here. I have to get to Bella. Now. Peter, help me spread those explosives we saw in the other warehouse. It's time to leave." He strode across the compound toward the smaller warehouse, not looking back to check if they were following him.

Peter looked down at his mate. "Well? Shall we?"

She nodded. "I hope he's gonna be okay," she said softly.

"He will be. As soon as we get his Bella back."


	24. Chapter 24

When we last saw Bella...:

_Natan rapped the concrete again.  
_

_"There is nothing magical about it. Its only secret lies in the fact that you cannot move. And being held immobile, you cannot get enough leverage to break your way out – although it would be of no hindrance at all to a vampire on the outside who wanted to tear their way in. One of the disadvantages of the idea. Otherwise, she would have had to resort to the old-fashioned method of decapitation–" ___

Bella flinched before she could stop herself.  
_"Ah... Familiar with the practice, are we? Josh might have been correct in his assumption – a first, no doubt. Yes, well, that is generally the accepted way – cheap, easy, efficient. And it takes care of most of the pesky powers the vampire might want to bring into play. This method, were you talented, would be of no hindrance to any such talent - another disadvantage it has. But it's not an issue in your case, hmm?" Natan looked at her expectantly, but this time Bella gave no indication that she heard or understood what he was saying. ___

"Well, I suppose time will tell. Maria is almost here… Any moment now, actually. And then you'll find out just why you've been brought here. I'm sure we'll both find the answer enlightening. I must say, I rather hope you are hiding a few secrets of your own. So far I've been rather disappointed in Maria's idea of 'entertainment'." 

Chapter 24

"Ah, Natan," Maria's voice came from the stairway. Bella turned her head as much as possible to watch Maria appear in the doorway. She glared at the woman with hatred, but Maria didn't even spare a glance in her direction. "So glad to see you, as always. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this time?"

"Now, Maria, you know I'm a curious sort. And word has it that you have been doing some very curious things lately. I confess that I am finding eternity more than just a little boring, so any diversion is a welcome one. Tell me, how is your human doing? Is he going to be joining us tonight? I was really hoping to meet him."

"Heriberto actually resides up in Nuevo Laredo. And, to be honest, I really don't expect him to be joining me any time soon," Maria said, not elaborating further.

"Oh? Did I miss something important already, then?" Natan asked, pretending to pout. "I knew I must have missed something. For instance, I walk in on two of your fine associates having quite a difficult time with this lovely creature. Is she a new acquisition?"

"In a way. One of my coven members saw her a few days ago and decided he wanted her. He's done so much for me… I thought I would do something for him – especially since I need to ensure his continued loyalty in the future."

"Not very accessible, is she? Is all that really necessary?" Natan asked, looking pointedly at the concrete.

"Oh, that – we'll get rid of that as soon as Abeo arrives. Then she'll be as accessible as anyone could wish."

"Hmm..." Natan said, sounding less than impressed with this information. Maria didn't seem to notice, but Bella took note of his apparent distaste with interest. Perhaps, she thought, these two were not part of the same coven as she'd first assumed. "Well, we'll see. Was she not recently a companion to one Jasper Whitlock?"

"Perhaps," Maria said, sounding coy. "And perhaps that makes the whole gift a little sweeter, don't you think?"

"So...young Josh and Lucio were correct? All this," he gestured at Bella, then around the room, "is just part of some game for you? A dangerous game you're playing, Maria, if they were also correct in the naming of your opponent. Jasper Whitlock is no one to trifle with…and not one known for playing games. You, of all people, should know this – you made him what he is."

Maria glanced Bella's way before switching to Spanish. Bella carefully schooled her face, wanting to give away nothing. "I did, but he has become weakened since joining with the animal drinkers. He is no true threat to me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Natan said. "They are a large coven, Maria, with many talented vampires – including, from what I've heard, a seer and a mind reader. I can't imagine even you being so foolish as to take them on."

"The Cullens do not concern me," Maria said. "I've just made a deal with them. They'll stay out of my territory and I'll stay out of theirs."

"You just made a deal with them?" Natan said, disbelief creeping into his voice. "I'm guessing that was done via Jasper Whitlock?"

"Indeed. Apparently he is the coven's messenger boy now. Such a slip in status… I'm surprised he tolerates it. But then, he's done so much that surprises me since he left me all those years ago."

"You made a deal, and then you kidnapped one of them in an act of petty revenge? Right out from under his nose? You seriously think any kind of deal will hold up after that? You'll be lucky if they don't all descend on you! You're crazier than I thought, Maria!" Bella thought, by the tone of his voice, that Natan might just enjoy such a scenario playing out before him.

"Pfft," Maria scoffed, almost giggling. "She's not 'one of them', Natan. Don't trouble yourself!"

"She has their eyes," Natan said, stepping closer to Bella and grabbing her face while pointing to her golden eyes with his other hand. "She most certainly is one of them. You're bringing destruction on yourself, woman, and I want no part of it."

"There will be no destruction, Natan – not while I have Abeo," Maria replied smugly.

Abeo. It was Abeo...

"Dammit, Abeo," the vampire holding her hissed, "you need to up that shit – she's still struggling!" The blond vampire had a tight hold on her – he'd had a tight hold on her since he'd grabbed her as she exited the bathroom. "If you don't hold still, bitch, I'll rip your head off!" he growled at her, giving her head a vicious tug with his arm to emphasis his point. Bella just struggled harder, but it was no use. He was bigger than she was – stronger – and he obviously knew what he was doing. "ABEO!" he hissed again, louder and clearly frustrated.

He obviously expected something to be happening and it wasn't. Bella caught a glimpse of Charlotte, who was lying on the bed, watching the television, and not even looking in their direction. Realization slammed into her.

Peter, almost hypnotized by the television; Charlotte, almost unaware of Bella's presence.

Something was at work here.

A vampire.

With some sort of power.

She stopped struggling and quickly flung her shield out to flow around Charlotte. There was no change in the little vampire. Bella, however, started feeling almost drowsy. Really, why was she struggling? She shouldn't be struggling. It would be so much easier to just relax...

Quickly, she pulled her shield back from Charlotte. This was not good. Not good at all. She didn't even dare let her shield down for an instant – whoever this Abeo was, and whatever he was doing, he could put her, too, out of it just like he had done with Charlotte and Peter. There'd be no chance of even getting a vision off to Alice.

But...if she could get NEAR this Abeo, maybe, just maybe, she could do something about him by herself.

She slumped in the blond vampire's arms. "Christ, finally," he grumbled, slinging her across his back. He headed back down the hall, spraying some sort of bleach substance behind him – presumably to hide his scent, Bella thought. Simple but effective. At least in the short term. Her own nose was burning unbearably from it.

He took her down the stairs at the end of the hall. A van was sitting right outside, a vampire with black curly hair sitting in the driver's seat.

"Took you long enough, Josh," the man grumbled as Josh slid the door open and flung Bella inside.

"Yeah, well, it took a bit for Abeo's voodoo shit to have any effect with this one. I think he was pushing too much shit on the other two and didn't have enough for the one we wanted.

"Other TWO? There weren't supposed to be any others here!" the driver exclaimed. "Whitlock is with Maria right now."

"Yeah, well, Maria DID say there might be other Cullens with them."

"Are you sure they were Cullens?"

"Well, who the hell else would they be, Lucio?" Josh asked, aggravated. "Abeo made sure they didn't notice anything. Just drive the damn van!"

"You should have just killed them. It's this one she wants."

"I had specific orders to not kill anybody – especially any Cullens. Maria doesn't need that kind of shit coming down on her. Now drive, dammit, before these humans notice us!"

"Keep your panties on. I'm waiting for–" He was interrupted by a loud THUD on the roof of the van. "Never mind, there he is. Okay, lets go!"

Maria. Bella felt fury pulse through her. Maria was behind this kidnapping. Maria had a vampire working for her that had some sort of power – something that even Bella's shield had difficulty around. Jasper had been wrong, so wrong. And if she had one vampire with a power, she might have more.

This was bad. Really bad. Bella's thoughts raced furiously, trying to come up with a plan. She wasn't a good strategist by any means. All she knew was they were in some serious trouble. She should lash out and take out this Abeo fellow and these other two right now.

But what if Maria had more than just one talented one? Maybe she should do nothing and be taken back to Maria's coven to find out what was really going on. No, she should take them out now.

"Just so you know," the blond vampire, Josh, hissed at her, "I'm pretty sure you're as stoned as any of us who come under his influence. But IF for some reason you can still understand me right now, know this – struggle TOO much and that man on top of the van right now will be gone in a flash. He'll go back to that hotel to take care of your two friends. Permanently."

Bella forced herself to remain relaxed. Later it was, then. Surely there'd be a chance at a clearer shot at this Abeo fellow later.

Not too much later, though. When they held her down and started pouring the concrete over her, the control snapped. She began lashing out at them, the fear of being trapped overwhelming her control over her shield as well. She had a few minutes of biting and spitting, struggling for freedom, before she felt the strange calmness flooding her again. At the last possible second, she was able to snap her shield up again, but it was too late. She could have escaped from the still wet concrete, but most likely not from the six vampires that were now surrounding her, avidly watching to see what she would do next. She had to comfort herself with the thought that perhaps Alice, at least, had been able to see what was happening. She'd bide her time and wait for another opening. One would come. One always did.

Abeo had the power, whatever it was, and Abeo wasn't here yet. But he would be. And apparently, Abeo wanted her.

This could be easier than she thought. Maybe. At least the part that had concerned her the most – which was how she was going to be able to get close enough to the talented vampire in order to destroy him – apparently was NOT going to be a problem. Still...a little back up would be nice.

Bella dropped her shield and made a deliberate decision, hurling a glob of venom at Natan. She was pleased to see it hit him squarely in the face. She really was getting pretty good at this spitting thing, after all the practice she'd gotten the last day.

SMACK

"DON'T do that again, whore!" Maria hissed. "Not if you want to keep that pretty head on your shoulders."

Bella raised her shield again and glared at both of them, more than a little pleased at watching Natan wipe her venom off his face.

"Now, where were we?" Maria said pleasantly, returning to Spanish again as she stepped away from Bella once more, effectively dismissing her.

"We were discussing the foolish mistake you have made by stealing a Cullen away from their coven, compounding that foolishness by taking a female that may or may not be one Jasper Whitlock's mate."

"She is not his mate!" Maria insisted.

"His mate is a Cullen," Natan argued back. "Everyone knows this."

"Everyone thought his mate was the little seer," Maria corrected. "Even I did when I visited them. Obviously everyone was incorrect, for I am positive he has been fucking this female. I've smelled him all over her every time I've seen her. Jasper Whitlock has no mate. He found this female in Europe. She's a nomad, and she will make a fine female for Abeo – with a little convincing. A few minutes with him and she'll forget all about Jasper Whitlock. Abeo will be happy and content, and I will have ensured the continued loyalty of a necessary member of my coven."

"Really? I'm shocked, Maria. You never seemed to be the type to care about the comfort and needs of your coven."

"Yes, well, even I can learn from past mistakes. Besides, if nothing else, I will have had a little amusement to break up the monotony of eternity. Isn't that all any of us are looking for, Natan?"

"If you're wrong, Maria, you will have brought a world of hurt down on you and yours. While I would find that amusing to watch from a distance, it's not something I care to be involved in up close and personal."

"I truly think it highly unlikely. She is nothing to him – nothing more than his latest bedmate in a long series of women. Certainly nothing he'd be willing to waste his time or his coven's resources on."

"I still think you're wrong, but that's neither here nor there at the moment. Time will tell which one of us is correct – and I certainly have time."

"As do I," Maria almost purred, looking pleased with herself.

"So...back to your human, Maria. What I really came by to find out was what in the world had possessed you to take up with him? I thought Carlisle Cullen was an oddity in the vampire world, living as he does amongst them, but apparently it is a disease that is catching."

"A disease I have quite recently purged myself of, if you must know."

"Ah...I'm sure he is quite brokenhearted by it."

"I'm sure he's quite dead by now, if I know Jasper Whitlock at all," Maria said.

"I thought you said you were confident he wouldn't be a problem..." Natan trailed off, turning back to look at Bella, a speculative gleam in his eye now.

Maria waved her hand dismissively. "I said he wouldn't be a problem to me here. Just because I believe he won't follow me down here to get his latest whore back, it doesn't mean he won't strike some sort of blow against me. Heriberto, unfortunately for him, was a close and convenient target for Jasper. Not to mention the fact that I took the time to ensure that Jasper hated him to begin with. Jasper was just looking for a reason to kill him. I have no doubt that he has already taken his frustration and anger out on Heriberto." Maria sniffed. "Just like old times, Jasper Whitlock has done my killing for me. It's all part of the game, Natan."

"Hmm..." Natan said, continuing to study the deliberately blank look Bella had plastered on her face. "I wish I was as sure of that as you seem to be, Maria. I've never met the man, but based on reputation alone, he doesn't strike me as a game player. And I doubt he'll be amused to find himself being used as your killing tool. Besides, won't you find the destruction of your human network a bit more than a small inconvenience?"

"Not so much, no," she said, still dismissive. "The humans were necessary at the time. But times change, and I think perhaps they will not be so necessary anymore. The recent events across the ocean have changed the playing field once more – and free us all up for so much...more. Wouldn't you agree?" She stepped closer to him to trail her hand across his chest.

He stepped back from her, and Bella could have sworn she saw a flash of distaste cross his face. "It may have changed some things, Maria, but I wouldn't be so quick to write off the humans if I were you. You, of all people, should proceed with caution – have you so quickly forgotten the destruction of your last coven at their hands?"

Maria's face hardened. "Not likely, Natan," she snarled. "I am a vampire, after all. I could not forget if I wanted to. I will never forget hearing their screams as I returned, too late to save them. I had to watch as those human vermin poured fire down under the ground, turning them all into ash. I didn't even realize what they were doing until it was too late."

For the first time ever, Bella saw actual pain on Maria's face, and for a split second she felt sorry for her. Maria continued her story, oblivious to Bella's reaction – though Natan had clearly caught it. Bella quickly schooled her face to disinterest again.

"'Drugs,' they said. They thought they were destroying drugs. Drugs from a rival herd. Of course they had checked for signs of life first – signs we never give off. All it would have taken was a few hearts beating, Natan, and they quite likely would have come down to kill with other weapons instead of using just fire. A few heartbeats and the outcome would have been so different."

"The holding room upstairs," Natan said quietly.

Maria nodded. "Yes, a method I used long ago when humans were not so plentiful and harder to find. I'd given it up in recent decades, now that they're all over the place like rats. It's so much work to keep them alive for any length of time, you know. But after that...well, obviously, in some cases, the old ways are for the best – even if the reason behind them changes. I always have a couple around now, just in case."

"Handy for feeding, too," Natan said, his eyes going to the ceiling, where even now the sounds of feeding vampires drifted down to them."

"There's that, too, of course," Maria said, "although I normally encourage them to go out and hunt..." She sighed. "Now we'll have to replace those. Ah, well. The boys can take of that when their done feeding."

Natan looked back down at Maria, who was shaking her head in thought.

"I've already avenged their destruction, and blood ran on the streets because of what was done to them. I've spent the last ten years learning how the world has moved on and changed – ten years simpering up to the enemy, learning their weaknesses, coming to understand their weapons, their culture, and the dangers they now pose to us. I may have underestimated them before, but not again. The cattle may have grown teeth and learned how to bite back, but they are still cattle – ours to control and use." Her face took on an almost fanatical glow. "And now, imagine my delight to find that our own self-styled overlords have fallen and we are finally free to come into our own in this world, Natan!"

Natan and Bella were both now looking at her as if she had gone mad – Bella not bothering to hide the fact that she'd understood what was being said.

"Maria," Natan said, "I think you are forgetting who, exactly, was involved in destroying those so-called 'overlords'. You are toying with the very cause of their destruction. If the Cullens took down the Volturi, do you really have any doubt that they'll destroy you and yours even easier?"

"I forget nothing. I told you, I have come to an understanding of sorts with the Cullens. They'll stay out of my business, and I'll not move into their territory."

Natan sighed. "You are quite mad, woman."

Bella had to agree with him. Maria was crazy. She wondered if the woman had always been this crazy. She knew Jasper had kept saying she was crazy, but Bella had no idea he meant this crazy. She'd always been under the impression that Maria must have some sense of strategy…leadership…something to have remained alive and in charge for as long as she had through the years. But this... She'd clearly gone 'round the bend.

And, Bella thought, coming from her, that was saying something. She had no illusions about her own tenuous grasp on reality.

Anger flared in Maria's eyes and they darkened to the black of fury. Natan bid a hasty verbal retreat – whether in fear for his own safety or just not wanting to risk his own game, Bella wasn't sure.

"So...you gave up your place of security and safety for the sake of a game...and a play for power. What do you plan to do next?"

"My 'safety' and 'security'," Maria scoffed, her eyes lightening to red again as she was sidetracked by his question. Bella had the urge to giggle crazily as she pictured Maria saying she was going to go to Disneyland. "I told you, there was a reason behind my being there amongst the humans – many reasons, all of which are over."

"Yes, yes, I understand. You learned all you felt was necessary about the modern world and how it works, and there are no longer any Volturi to try to fawn over..." His words made Maris snarl, but he ignored her. "I came here for entertainment, Maria. A show. I see nothing but a pitiful has-been wasting her time playing games like the rest of us, trying to fill her eternity. I thought for a moment there that at the very least I would get to see the great Jasper Whitlock. Instead..." He glanced at Bella, who was now watching them with unconcealed curiosity, although Maria had not yet seemed to notice. He quickly switched back to English before continuing.

"Instead, you've stolen his lover, trapping her for a combination of petty revenge and bribery. For the sake of playing games. You stole his lover, but not even with the anticipation of him following along – at least then there would be some sort of fight to savor and enjoy. Although, I can see why your man is interested in her. She is a pretty little thing. And knowing Abeo's powers as I do, I can see why you want to keep him close and loyal to you."

"Pretty thing," Maria said with a snort, switching to English too and smirking at Bella. Clearly she wanted Bella to know what she was saying now. "I think not. Her face, perhaps, but I think you'll find the rest of her is not so pretty. She's as scarred as her former lover – worse, almost. Great horrid things."

"Scars?" Natan asked, real interest showing through the careful indifference he'd been trying to project. "What sort of scars? Decapitation?"

"Well, she has that too," Maria said, waving her hand dismissively. "But really, who even notices something like that in our world? And she has been traveling with Jasper – one could almost expect something like that to happen if you run with him long enough. The man attracts danger like a honey attracts flies. No, the scars I'm talking about came from no vampire, I'm thinking. I don't know what did them. They didn't seem to detract from Abeo's interest when he saw them. And evidently they didn't bother Jasper either. How he could even stand looking at her naked is beyond me – or did he make you keep your clothes on, whore?" Maria sneered, addressing Bella directly for the first time. "Or maybe you were the only woman willing to be with him? Two scarred souls with nowhere else to turn? Did that little female in the Cullen coven finally come to her senses and turn him away?"

Bella started growling and Natan interjected quickly. "Yes, yes, she's damaged goods, no doubt about that, Maria. I would assume that just based on who she's been with and the color of her eyes. But back to the scarring...describe it better, please."

Maria turned back to Natan, distracted once again. "Great gashes," she said, gesturing to her own body. "Like I said, I have no idea how or what–"

"Werewolf," Natan whispered, and he spun to face Bella. "It was werewolves, wasn't it, girl? And where were you that you ran into such trouble? That didn't happen anywhere near here... Nowhere in this hemisphere, even."

Bella didn't answer – not that he'd expected her too – and he turned back to Maria. "Like I said, Jasper found her in Europe," Maria said. "I have no reason to not believe him."

"There have been no werewolves in Europe for decades – possibly centuries. But in my homeland...in my homeland, there were many. Were you in Siberia, girl? And if so, what were you doing there?" Natan was back to staring at Bella in fascination.

"It hardly matters now, does it?" Maria snapped, impatient with the conversation now that it had turned away from her. "Besides, rumor has it that there were werewolves present at the Volturi's downfall – so clearly there are werewolves in Europe."

"It may very well matter, Maria, if you knew more than your small corner of the world," Natan growled with impatience of his own. "No matter where she was attacked, if she is that scarred by werewolves, then somebody saved her. No vampire could take that much damage and survive the poison without help. Somebody took the time to help her heal. They took the time to draw the poison out and the energy to use their own venom to seal the wounds before hunting for her afterwards. That doesn't speak of a casual lover, Maria. You may have bitten off more than you can chew this time."

Both vampires turned to look at Bella, who stared steadily back at them, a small smile creeping across her face.


	25. Chapter 25

When we last saw Jasper and Company:

_Jasper merely turned his head a bit to look at her. "Killing is not torture. I've never been a fan of torture, Charlotte. And certainly not since you and your mate saved me all those years ago. I did what I had to do. There was no saving them – not easily, not quickly…probably not at all…and certainly not in the time frame I'm working under here. I have to get to Bella. Now. Peter, help me spread those explosives we saw in the other warehouse. It's time to leave." He strode across the compound toward the smaller warehouse, not looking back to check if they were following him._

Peter looked down at his mate. "Well? Shall we?"

She nodded. "I hope he's gonna be okay," she said softly.

"He will be. As soon as we get his Bella back."

**Chapter 25**

"I wonder if that Alice saw any of this," Peter wondered aloud, watching the sky to the east lighten. He and Charlotte had quickly dragged all the bodies into one of the buildings before dousing the area liberally with fuel. They were only now waiting on Jasper to reappear so they could light a match and get going. He'd gone back into the house one last time to make sure he couldn't find anything that might be important – whatever the hell that meant.

Peter wasn't sure if they would be following their fearless leader on the next leg of their adventure or pointing an unstable weapon south, releasing it, and then following the path of destruction it left behind.

"We can just call and ask," Charlotte said. "Jasper told her he'd have his phone turned off. I really doubt he's checked for messages in all the excitement of the last half hour."

Peter turned to look at her. "My phone ain't working, remember? I tossed it out back in Kansas somewhere."

She grinned slyly. "But Jasper's is." She pulled it out of her pocket. "I took it from him before he went to get cleaned up. In his present state, I figured he might not remember to set it aside before he got in the shower."

"Clever woman," Peter said appreciatively while taking the phone from her. He looked it over carefully, turning it over and over in his hands before looking back up at her. "It's broken," he said.

Charlotte took it back from him. "Are you really that clueless, Peter? Don't you ever pay attention to what the humans around you are doing?"

He shook his head. "Not when it comes to their little toys. That behavior doesn't figure heavily into my meal selection."

"Good Lord!" She sighed. "I swear, it doesn't matter what the species, men only ever think about food and sex. Look!" She flipped the phone open and pushed a button. The phone came to life with a soft 'ping' that would have been almost unnoticeable to human ears.

"Nice," Peter said, taking the phone back from her. Before he could dial the number he knew was Carlisle's, the phone started buzzing. He jumped, almost dropping the phone in the process.

"It's ringing," Charlotte said softly, leaning over to push the green button to accept the call.

Peter put the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he asked tentatively.

"It's about time one of you answered!" came a snippy female voice.

"Nice to hear you too, Alice," Peter said.

"Jasper?" Carlisle's voice replaced Alice's.

"Uh...no, sir. It's Peter."

"Peter? Where is Jasper? Is he all right? Alice has been having the most appalling visions about him... About all three of you actually."

"Uh, he's fine. Fine as can be, I suppose. He's, um, checking the house one more time before we head south again," Peter said, hoping Carlisle would just drop the subject of whatever visions Alice had been having.

No such luck, of course.

"Peter...I need to ask…Alice's visions...well, she saw Jasper trying to feed from humans and you stopping him. But she also saw you being unable to stop him and Jasper killing a large number of humans in some fairly horrific circumstances. I need to know what really happened and what was just a possibility."

"Uh...all of it?" Peter asked. "Do you really need to know this shit? I just wanna know if Alice has any warnings for us with what we're heading into..."

"Yes, I need to know this 'shit', Peter. Jasper and his well-being are my responsibility and I might not get the chance to talk about this with you when he's out of earshot again. I don't like to be blindsided by things if I can help it, and what Alice saw...well, Jasper might need help down the road dealing with these things."

"Oh..." Peter felt like he was starting to sound like a complete idiot, and he struggled to find words more than one syllable long with which to reply to Carlisle. "Well, in that case...yeah, all of it. Probably whatever she saw happened. I was able to stop him at first, but then...well, really, there's no stopping him if he doesn't want to be stopped, ya know?"

"I know," Carlisle said quietly.

"And the other stuff...the other humans...I don't know what he did because he did it alone. But it was bad, I'm sure, just from what I saw before he took over. But we gotta stay on task here, ya know, Carlisle? I'd love to chat some more with you about Jasper's future mental stability, but right now, I think that ship has sailed. We – Charlotte and me – well, we're just sort of at the 'aim and release' stage right now. We'll follow him and do what needs to be done to protect his back, but it ain't gonna be easy."

"Right...were you able to find out anything useful there?"

"No...not really. The head fucker – excuse me, the head, um, warlord guy, killed himself before Jasper got anything useful out of him. Jasper's pretty put out about that – not even using his powers helped. The guy just pulled out a gun and 'BANG', it was all over. I don't know...interviewing humans is a lot different from interviewing vampires. He's never had to try to get information out of a human before. It really didn't go well. There was only one vampire in the compound. We think Maria knew what was coming and abandoned things here to retreat south."

"Do you think she knows you're following her all the way down?" Carlisle sounded concerned.

"Jasper doesn't think so. He figures she assumed that he'd destroy things here, just as an act of petty revenge. He's still convinced that she doesn't know Bella's his mate."

"And you? What do you think?"

Peter looked over at Charlotte. "Well, sir, if she had my mate, I wouldn't assume nothing."

"Don't let him–"

"We're not going to let him do anything stupid..." Peter cut Carlisle off but looked around him at the mess left in the compound. "Well...I take that back. Charlotte and I will keep our eyes and ears open for any sign that we're being expected. And we'll do our damnedest to make Jasper listen to us. I think, at this point, that that's the best we can do."

"It'll have to do, Peter. And it's more than I could have asked for. I'm so glad you and your mate decided to help him out with this. Really. When this is over…anything you want, just ask for it. If it's in my power–"

"I don't want nothing," Peter cut him off again, a little angry. "I just want to get my mate, and my friend and _his_mate, out of here in one piece."

"All right, Peter," Carlisle said gently. "I will put Alice back on. Take care, please. And good luck."

"Thanks," Peter said quietly. "We're going to need it."

"Peter?" Alice said, her voice soft now. "I don't really see what happens from here."

"That's no surprise," Peter said. "Jasper's flying by the seat of his pants and we're just getting sucked along for the ride. Anything on Bella?"

"Yes, actually... Nothing really useful, aside from the fact that it lets me – us – know that she is still alive and well. In my vision, she's spitting on somebody."

"Wait. Ain't that what she was doing the last time you saw her in a vision?" Peter asked, confused. "Are you sure you're not just seeing the same thing again?"

"Quite sure. Different surroundings. This time she seems to be trapped somehow, as opposed to being restrained by other vampires. She had to have made a deliberate decision to drop her shield and spit on this vampire. This tells me she must know when it is safe to drop the shield and when it is not. She is aware of her surroundings and is still capable of making decisions – useful decisions that may help her situation."

"She sure does like to spit a lot."

"Well, we all do what we can, Peter. And apparently that's all she's capable of right now."

"Could you tell who she was spitting on?"

"Nobody I recognized. Nobody from any of my other visions of situations involving Maria either."

"Great. We just keep adding more and more folks to this already crowded cast."

"Yes, well, be careful! And good luck. I see you all getting in a black truck and driving off, but after that, nothing."

Peter looked at the truck Charlotte was now leaning against, the keys dangling in her hand as she swung them back and forth to get his attention.

"Yeah, I'm looking at it now. Anything else? How 'bout Maria? Are you familiar enough with her to get a read on her?"

"Not so much, no – unless she's involved with someone I know well. I've only met her once. If she's near Bella, I'm not seeing any decisions she's making regarding Bella. Maybe because of Bella's shield? I don't know... It's very frustrating, Peter. Believe me, I know," Alice growled a little into the phone. "I actually did get a glimpse of her…feeding. Totally useless, I know, but that's all I've gotten so far."

Peter sighed. "All right, then. You're doing your best. We all are. I'm going to let you go – Jasper'll be back out in a minute and I gotta be ready for whatever kind of shape he's in."

Alice laughed. "I don't see him right now either, which means he's probably running on instinct."

"Tell me something I don't know," Peter grumbled.

"Okay, then, I'll text again if I see anything more."

"Text… Right." He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. "Text. You do that, Alice. We'll check every so often."

"Good luck, Peter," she said quietly.

"Thanks, Alice."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

"Who was on the phone?" Jasper asked, striding out of the house and over to the truck, which was now idling with Charlotte behind the wheel.

"Alice," Peter said cautiously, not sure what shape Jasper was in.

"Great," Jasper said, appearing to be perfectly in control once more, although his eyes were still black – whether from anger or blood lust or something else, Peter wasn't sure. His friend seemed to have his emotions on lock-down, not leaking anything that might help him figure out where he was coming from. Peter really didn't trust his calm – it was too unnatural.

"Did she have anything useful for us?" he continued while looking around the compound, a puzzled look coming over his face.

Peter quickly relayed what Alice had said, leaving out all of Carlisle's inquiries and the subsequent discussion it had led to about Jasper's mental health. When he was done speaking, he found that he was looking around too, trying to figure out what exactly Jasper was looking for.

"Good...good," Jasper said, clearly distracted now. "If she's spitting, that's good."

"Yeah," Peter said. "That's what everybody keeps saying. What exactly are you looking for, Jasper?"

"Do you hear that?" Jasper asked instead of answering Peter's question.

"What is taking you two so long?" Charlotte called from truck.

"Just a second, babe!" Peter called back to her. He stepped closer to Jasper, moving slowly so as not to startle him. "Hear what, Jasper?"

"That buzzing. Don't you hear something buzzing? More of a hum, actually. I thought I heard it earlier a few times tonight but wasn't sure over all the other noise. But it's quite clear now..."

Peter listened for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe..." He too was looking around now, trying to pinpoint where the noise might be coming from. He was also trying to figure out why it was so damn important. "Look, we need to get going–"

"Yes, yes..." Jasper said, clearly not listening to him. "Ah HAH!" he said. "There, Peter! See that pole?" He pointed to a light pole on the other side of the compound, its light extinguished from when they'd cut the electricity to the outer compound earlier. "Are there any guns in that truck of yours?"

"I have no clue," Peter answered, staring at the light pole. "Charlotte got the truck. I haven't even looked at it yet."

Jasper strode over to the vehicle and opened the back door to the bench seat. He dug around for a moment before stepping back, holding an assault rifle. Swinging it up to his shoulder, he aimed toward the pole and pulled the trigger. A split second later, a satisfying explosion of sparks brought a smile to Jasper's face.

"Nice shootin', Tex," Peter drawled. "Happy now?"

"Not really," Jasper said, lowering the gun and turning to him. "That was a camera."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit!" Peter said, kicking the flat tire for good measure before turning to take in their surroundings – a whole lot of nothing, which would be just fine if it weren't for the fact that it was 9 am, the sun was up, and the sky was a beautiful clear blue.

"There's no spare," Jasper said, standing up from where he'd been looking under the truck.

"What now? Run?"

Jasper looked around at the deserted landscape and dirt road they'd been on.

"I guess so. We can take to the hills. Not much chance of another vehicle coming along for us to steal, not on this back road. Might be faster than driving on these back roads anyway. And, at this point, I don't really care if somebody sees me sparkle or not."

"Yeah," Peter agreed. They'd taken the truck in order to avoid being seen during the day, and they'd stayed on the back roads to further avoid detection by humans. So here they were, three hours later, stranded on the side of the road and only halfway to their destination. It was a trip that should have taken less time if they'd been able to stick to the main highway, but now they were stranded on the side of the road and sparkling like freaks in a side show. Jasper was growing increasingly nervous the longer he was separated from his mate. It didn't matter that the pull had stabilized and they knew Maria had ceased moving Bella southward.

"Wait..." Jasper said, seeing a truck kicking up a dust cloud on the horizon. "I think our luck just changed. Back in the truck!"

"It'd be quicker to just run back and meet it–"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "If we do THAT, they'll see us coming!"

"So?"

"What if it's a truck full of kids from the local orphanage, huh?"

"Fine…"

They climbed back into the truck and rolled the tinted windows back up, waiting for the other vehicle to draw closer. It took almost 20 minutes for it to get close enough before they could decipher it from its accompanying dust cloud. It was a late model white SUV – suspiciously out of place on the deserted back road.

A lot like their own vehicle.

"I'm thinking it's not orphans," Charlotte said quietly.

"I'm thinking you're right," Jasper said. They could see the driver now, as well as his passenger. Both were no-nonsense looking men. A third figure in the back seat was not as clear.

"But it could be our next ride…and our lunch," Peter said, his venom starting to flow at the thought. He'd not eaten in a while, and the stress from the activities in the compound earlier in the day was starting to get to him.

"Yes," Jasper said. "Wait for them to come to us, Peter, just in case it's somebody we don't want to kill."

Peter couldn't imagine who fit that description. He couldn't think of any humans he wouldn't gladly drain right now.

Well, scratch that. Orphans. Or any children for that matter. Nuns, maybe. Old women. Old men. Pregnant women. Women who weren't pregnant.

Okay, he had a fairly long list after all. But two men driving a late model SUV in the middle of nowhere in Mexico? Definitely lunch material.

The SUV pulled over, stopping about twenty feet behind them. The man on the passenger side stepped out carrying a gun. The driver remained in the vehicle, quite clearly training another gun on them out of his open window. The passenger in the back didn't move either.

"Not a friendly bunch, are they?" Jasper asked quietly from the back seat.

"No. Not so much."

All three vampires could smell the fear coming off the man walking towards their truck. Peter cracked his window a bit for appearances, although all three could hear perfectly well through the glass.

"Looks like you're having a bit of trouble," the man said in Spanish, glancing back at the flat rear tire.

"You could say that," Peter agreed pleasantly, also speaking Spanish.

"Maybe we could help."

"You probably can," Peter said, neither moving to open the window further nor the door.

"You work for Heriberto?" the man asked suddenly, turning back to Peter, squinting as he tried to catch a glimpse of the interior of the truck. His eyes tightened further when sunlight managed to make its way through the barely opened window, reflecting off the skin of the vampire sitting behind the wheel.

"Uh..." Peter hesitated, not sure how to answer. He glanced back over his shoulder at Jasper.

"Fuck!" Jasper said, glancing out the back window towards the other truck, the movement there catching his eye. "Run! Get out!" he shouted, diving for the passenger door. He went through the window, not bothering to stop to open the door.

Years of training – and reflexes honed to obey that voice, never forgotten in their vampire minds – drove Peter to follow immediately with Charlotte close behind. They were barely ten feet away when the truck exploded in a ball of flames, the concussion from the blast sending them flying through the air.

"What the FUCK was that?" Peter shouted, jumping up from the ground and dusting himself off.

"That, my friend, was probably an RPG." Peter looked at Jasper blankly. "I'll explain later – but we better hurry. Our ride is getting away."

Peter turned in time to see that, sure enough, the SUV had spun around in the dirt road and was flying back in the direction it had come from.

"Oh, I don't _think_so, asshole!" he muttered. "Charlotte?" He took off running, Charlotte right behind him. Jasper followed quickly, not bothering to warn them further about possible weapon's fire from the vehicle that was making a hasty getaway. Nothing could hit them at the speed they were running – at least, nothing aimed by humans.

A second later, Peter was beside the SUV, his fist punching through the glass of the window before he grabbed the driver and pulled him out of the still moving vehicle. Left without a driver, the SUV careened wildly off the road and quite a ways into the sparse desert before coming to a halt.

Peter had immediately latched on to the driver's throat, desperate to drain as much blood from the man before he could bleed out from the various wounds caused from being yanked out of a moving vehicle at a high speed. Charlotte didn't even glance at her mate as she ran by; she concentrated on the vehicle instead. It had barely come to a stop before she had the door open and the third man pulled from the back seat.

A quick check with his senses told Jasper there weren't any more humans in the vehicle. Another check of their own – now smoking – truck told him that the man who'd first approached them was dead too – a burning bit of smoking flesh next to the smoking charred ruins and a crater.

A couple minutes later, Peter and Charlotte approached him where he still stood in the road, watching the remains of the truck continue to smolder. They were carrying the remains of their meals and they both quickly threw the corpses onto the remaining flames.

"That was impressive," Peter said, walking around the destruction. He was, Jasper noticed, finally feeling a bit of apprehension and fear at what he was seeing. "If we hadn't gotten out of there..." his voice trailed off and he looked over at Charlotte, "it might have killed us. We might have been destroyed...by humans."

"Yeah, exactly," Jasper said, sighing. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. The cattle have grown teeth, Peter. Lucky for us, people don't usually drive around armed like this."

"He knew what we were," Peter said.

Jasper shrugged. "Maybe. I didn't get that kind of fear or apprehension from him – at least not from the guy that walked up to the truck. I don't think he knew what we were. He sure as hell didn't know he was going to die alongside us. But the driver and the gunman in the SUV? There was nothing but determination coming from them. They knew to shoot first and run like hell afterward." He ran back to the SUV, Peter and Charlotte behind him.

"How did they find us? This wasn't just a lucky – or unlucky – encounter, was it?"

"I don't think it was. But what triggered the encounter...? That's another question. Did they work for Heriberto or a rival gang? Were we attacked because they thought _we_worked for Heriberto? A crime of convenience, perhaps? We were in the wrong place at the right time? Or did our little outing this morning trigger the attack?"

"You said there was a camera on the light pole back at the compound. Still working, filming us...even though you'd disconnected their main surveillance stuff."

"Yeah. A back-up system maybe, or...a private system? Maybe one that only Heriberto knew about? Maybe some sort of fail-safe system was triggered when he died."

"You're thinking about his threats, there at the end..." Peter said, eying Jasper thoughtfully.

"I am." Jasper nodded. "And look here..." He reached into the SUV and ripped something off of the front windshield. "A dash cam." He crumpled the box in his hand and dropped it into the dust.

"Somebody just saw all of that," Charlotte whispered, frightened.

Jasper nodded again. "At least the parts that took place in front of the vehicle." He pulled out his phone and cursed. "No signal. Hopefully maybe Alice saw some of that. The sooner Emmett and Rose can get online and work their magic, the better. I should have called about the other camera, but I'm not thinking straight right now."

Peter chose not to comment on that last part. If it was him separated from _his_mate, he'd be in a lot worse shape than Jasper was. "They're gonna be busy trying to wipe out all this evidence if that compound really was wired with a second system. Do they ever have time to do anything else?"

Jasper shrugged. "It's usually not a problem. We – the Cullens – make every effort to blend in. Aside from when it is time for us to disappear and the cyclical formation of new identities, we have very little to hide from the humans. All it takes is lots of practice – lots and lots of practice. If we fed from humans, it would be another story altogether." He stared at Charlotte and Peter for a moment. "I would suggest that you two be even more careful in your hunting. There are cameras everywhere."

Peter nodded thoughtfully. "We will. Well, shall we?" He gestured at the SUV. "I'm sure it runs good enough still to make it along this road for a while. And now we know not to trust any other vehicles we might run into."

"I wonder what sort of greeting committee will be waiting for us in Monterrey..." Charlotte said thoughtfully, going around to climb into the passenger side of the SUV. Jasper climbed into the back, letting Peter drive again. To their surprise, the vehicle started right up and he was able to pull back onto the road.

"Let's hope it doesn't involve shit that can blow us up," Peter muttered. "I'm sort of partial to being in one piece. I don't want to be turned to ashes any time soon. And I sure as hell don't want it to be at the hands of some damn blood bag. It's downright insulting!"


	26. Chapter 26

Last Week on "Chaotic Dynamics":

_"I wonder what sort of greeting committee will be waiting for us in Monterrey..." Charlotte said thoughtfully, going around to climb into the passenger side of the SUV. Jasper climbed into the back, letting Peter drive again. To their surprise, the vehicle started right up and he was able to pull back onto the road._

"Let's hope it doesn't involve shit that can blow us up," Peter muttered. "I'm sort of partial to being in one piece. I don't want to be turned to ashes any time soon. And I sure as hell don't want it to be at the hands of some damn blood bag. It's downright insulting!"

**Chapter 26**

"Wow!" Peter said. "It really has grown since we were here last."

"Just a little bit," Jasper agreed.

All three of them were lying on their stomachs on a large rock formation overlooking the huge city-filled valley below them. The late-afternoon sun was high in the sky, but being on the highest spot of ground around, they felt fairly safe from immediate detection. They were also now effectively trapped on their rock till the sun went down. On every side, except the way they'd climbed up, was development. Teeming masses of humanity stood between them and their goal.

Peter turned and looked back at their most recent ride, which was sitting dead in the road at the bottom of the steep slope they'd climbed to get where they were now. "I guess we're lucky it got us this far – even if it did take forever."

"Well," Charlotte said, "you couldn't expect much more from it after you ripped the driver out of it and wrecked it."

"I _said _we were lucky, didn't I?" Peter snapped back.

Jasper rolled over on his back and let loose an agonized howl to the empty sky. It shut both Peter and Charlotte up.

"You okay, Jasper?" Charlotte finally whispered when his howling had lessened to more of an agonized whimpering.

"What do _you_ think, Charlotte?" he said, sounding almost...broken. "She's right over there, right across the valley, and I can't get to her till tonight. So, no, I'm _not _okay, thank you very much for asking."

For once, Peter did not have a sarcastic remark. The agony Jasper had been trying – and failing – to not project all day was starting to wear on all of them. There was no longer any doubt in his mind that his friend and sometime-brother was bonded to the missing vampire, and he just wanted the rescue to take place as soon as possible before Jasper drove them all mad.

"We could circle around to the northwest," he said, turning to study the terrain again. "It looks less populated up there."

"It would still take the rest of the day," Jasper said, groaning and rolling back over again. "It's just too crowded. I can't believe this!"

"Is she down there somewhere? Can you pinpoint her that close with your pull or do we need to start searching for scent trails?" Peter asked, looking at the huge modern city below them. _Good hunting grounds_, he thought. _No wonder Maria stayed._

"No. She's across there. In the mountains. The Sierra Madres. They – Mexico – have made it a National Park. She stopped moving hours ago. I think they're at Maria's more permanent...den. House. Hole. Whatever she calls it…"

"Ah! Good place for a den." Peter nodded approvingly. In spite of his personal opinion about Maria, he couldn't fault her tactics – except for her whole set-up with the humans. He still couldn't figure that one out.

"Yeah, well, it might as well be on the moon right now," Jasper said, bitterness in his tone. He flipped over once more and sprawled on his back on the rock, closing his eyes and soaking up the heat of the sun. "I bet she'd like it out here in the desert," he said, almost dreamily. "I'll bring her somewhere safe in the desert. A big ol' rock like this – but far away from here. And we'll just soak up the sun. Bella really likes the heat. Did I tell you that already?"

"Only about a million times on the ride down here," Peter grumbled.

Jasper ignored him. A few minutes later, he rolled back over to his stomach and glared at the mountains across the valley from them. Another whimper escaped him, which Charlotte and Peter tactfully ignored.

"Soon, Jasper," Charlotte said soothingly, reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. "Soon. And...maybe another car will come along. You never know."

"Yeah, maybe," Jasper said doubtfully. They were almost surrounded by a heavily populated area. They'd stuck to fairly deserted roads up until this point, and they had managed to make it to the middle of a desolate area that had been a quarry of some sort sometime in the past – long deserted now.

Almost as if her words had conjured it, all three heard the sounds of a fast-approaching vehicle at the same time. In surprise, they turned to watch another white SUV speeding up the dirt track they'd traversed not half an hour before, careful to never actually rise up off the rock upon which they were lying. The SUV halted in a cloud of dust a couple hundred feet back from their own abandoned vehicle and a man hopped out of the back seat, holding a tubular weapon up to his shoulder.

"Holy shit, not again!" Peter whispered in shock. A moment later, their latest ride exploded in a ball of flames. They flattened themselves out on the rock and remained still, waiting to see what the humans did next.

"What the hell?" Jasper said. "Oh, shit!"

The three vampires watched in horror as the man paused, apparently consulting the driver of the vehicle, who stuck his hand out of the window and began gesturing up the slope in their direction. Almost in slow motion, the man with the weapon turned and pointed it almost directly at them.

It was almost too quick for even vampire reflexes – at least vampires that were having trouble processing what they were even seeing.

Almost.

In a flash, the three of them were on their feet and launching themselves off the far side of the rock, oblivious to the hundred-foot drop waiting for them or the fact that they were reflecting sunlight off their exposed skin for an incredible distance. They all hit the steep slope at the bottom of the cliff at almost the same time, not stopping to look behind them as the spot they had occupied only seconds before exploded in a ball of flames similar to that of their previous two vehicles.

"I guess we won't take that truck after all!" Peter shouted as they fled down the slope – instinctively, desperately, and futily looking for some sort of cover.

"How did they find us?" Charlotte wailed.

"The truck...the truck...it must have had some sort of tracking device on it!" Jasper yelled. "GPS. It works both ways, you know?"

"I don't even know what the hell that means, but I know it doesn't explain how they knew where _we_ were up on that rock!" Peter hollered.

That brought all three of them to a halt, and they stared at each other in horror.

"How could they…? Can they _track _us?" Charlotte murmured, fear showing in her voice. "Can they scent us out?"

"They're only human!" Peter scoffed. "They might have fancy weapons that can kill us, but they can't track us like that."

"A venom sensor of some kind, then?" Charlotte asked. "Maria was with that guy for a while – maybe he was using her just as much as she was using him..."

Jasper considered this for a moment, impressed by Charlotte's quick thinking. "Maybe... But that'd be some really high tech biological shit, not something a weapons and drug dealer would bother with. I'm thinking something more tech-oriented. A tracking device. But when would they have tagged us? They never had the chance..."

The other two turned to look at him.

"Your clothes," Peter said, eyeing the clothes Jasper had put on after cleaning up at the compound. "You're wearing one of their uniforms. A device like that – it might be something they just attach to the uniforms, standard issue, for lots of different reasons..."

Jasper looked down at himself. He had to agree with Peter. There was no other explanation – at least, not one that he cared to contemplate.

"Strip!" Peter ordered, feeling Jasper's agreement before he could even speak aloud.

Jasper sighed. And why the hell not? This day couldn't get any worse. He quickly stripped all the way down, his marble skin sparkling even more, and then he stashed all the clothing under a large rock formation. He hesitated with the boots, hating to let them go. They were his own boots, and they were just getting broken in. Well, better safe than sorry. They went under the rock too.

He quickly signaled to Peter and Charlotte and they took off in the opposite direction of the rocks at full vampire speed. Even so, Jasper felt more exposed – in more ways than one – than he ever had before. He was sure the entire valley would be watching the now setting sun reflecting off his skin as the three of them skidded downwards across the slope of the hillside, trying without success to find another pile of rocks large enough to hide them from any prying eyes on the cliff top.

Almost a quarter of a mile away from where he'd hidden his clothes, they finally found a spot to hide. They skidded around some low-lying boulders that had broken off the cliff face and rolled down the slope. They burrowed their way back through the jumble of boulders till they could see where they'd just run from but still remain unseen.

_Hopefully unseen_, Jasper thought. Hopefully his skin was completely hidden from any sunlight.

"If we're wrong about it being your clothes, we're in a world of hurt here," Peter said.

"Well, you two are welcome to strip down too!" Jasper retorted. "Then I wouldn't feel so awkward."

"Yeah...no," Peter said. "I'm willing to take my chances. We'll have time to run if we see anything pointed this way." The last part was said with a considerable amount of doubt.

"Those things aren't so precise at this kind of distance," Jasper said, hoping he was right about what he was saying.

They waited a few more minutes, not seeing any movement up on the top of the now-smoking cliff top that they'd left so quickly.

"Maybe...maybe we're wrong," Charlotte said. "Maybe they just saw us when we were up there."

"Maybe," Jasper said, doubtful. "You gotta remember, humans are slow. And they wouldn't want to get too close to that fire. AND they're gonna want to check the area thoroughly before they look for us elsewhere."

"_If_ they're going by sight and not by some little tracking device thingy, like you said," Peter pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, that's true."

Any doubts they'd had were put to rest when a human figure finally appeared at the top of the cliff, weapon in hand. Their vampire sight allowed them a clear image of the man scanning the slope below him, his head turning slowly as he looked for movement that wasn't there. He then pulled out some sort of small device from a pocket, consulted it for a moment, and then checked the area below him again. This time his gaze remained fixed on the rocks where Jasper had hidden his clothes. The tubular weapon was swung up on his shoulder again, and a few seconds later, the boulder pile erupted in an explosion that sent rocks and gravel flying in all directions. He waited another ten minutes, continuing to glance up and down the slope, before finally turning and disappearing.

"Well, I guess that answers that," Jasper said.

"I sure as hell hope so," Peter said. "That was really beginning to get old. What did you call those things?"

"RPGs – rocket propelled grenades. They're shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons. Obviously adaptable for a variety of uses – armored cars, non-armored cars, helicopters–"

"Vampires," Charlotte said quietly.

Jasper nodded. "Vampires."

"Do you think they knew what they were shooting at? Or is that just their favorite gun?"

"Good question. I have no idea. It's a very popular weapon with unhappy people all over the world. There's a whole lot out there now that can cause us real problems, Peter. The RPG is probably the most common, though."

"I haven't seen or heard of it before."

"Well, they aren't exactly used on the streets of the United States, so I wouldn't expect you to have seen one in action, especially since you're not one for watching much television."

"They seem pretty common around here," Peter said bitterly, remembering having been shot at multiple times already that day.

"Yeah. Look, the sun is almost down. We're gonna wait here until it's dark enough, but then it's straight across the valley for us."

"I wanna feed again before we fight," Peter said, Charlotte nodding beside him. "Just to be safe, ya know? Fighting vampires is going to be a whole lot different than killing humans. You should, too, Jasper."

"I'm fine," Jasper growled, making it clear there was no room for discussion on the subject.

"We need to find you something to wear," Charlotte said, glancing briefly at his naked form before looking away and smirking. "You can't rescue Bella like that!"

"I'd rescue her painted purple with pink polka dots if that's what it took!" Jasper snapped before feeling bad when Charlotte flinched. Peter growled. "But yes, clothing would be nice."

"I don't know," Peter said after a few minutes of tense silence, trying to lighten the mood, "you bursting in stark naked might prove to be just the distraction we need!"

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

The sun had disappeared behind the mountains to the west, but the valley wasn't quite dark yet when they left their boulder pile. Being impatient to get moving and not really caring who saw him made Jasper move sooner than he normally would have. They entered the outskirts of the city at vampire speed, breaking into a house that was empty of humans. They were presumably still at work because the house was definitely inhabited. Unfortunately, it appeared to be an all-female household. It took two more tries before they found men's clothing that came close to fitting Jasper's tall frame.

"This is ridiculous!" Jasper hissed, finally pulling on jeans and a t-shirt. "Bella's probably being pulled apart as we speak and I'm screwing around with my wardrobe!"

"Well, for starters, I'd like to point out that the problem was actually a complete _lack_of a wardrobe," Peter said, poking around the human's kitchen in curiosity. "And, secondly, if Maria had wanted to pull her apart, we would have found her all over that compound last night."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. This is just pissing me off. The fucking boots don't fit!" he growled, flinging them across the room. "Okay, I'm ready. You two mind feeding downtown on our way through?"

"Uh...I'm thinking the slums would work okay... They're sort of on our way, from the looks of things."

"Fine, fine. Just make it quick."

"Sure you won't join us?"

Jasper looked at him. "I'm sure. What happened back there this morning isn't going to happen again if I can help it."

"All right, all right. I'm just askin'!"

"And I'm just telling. Now, lets run!"

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Peter had been right – Jasper's pull had taken them straight through a large slum on the outskirts of Monterrey, almost opposite to where they had entered the city.

"Makes sense," Peter said after he and Charlotte had finished their quick hunt. "She's got her place up there in the mountains. The slums are close…steady food supply...no wonder she never really left the area." He didn't bother counting Maria's time in Nuevo Laredo. For an older vampire, a decade of time was nothing. Whatever she'd been doing up there, why ever she'd begun – and ended – her association with the humans, her home territory had always been Monterrey, and it surprised none of them that it was here that she'd retreated.

They'd crossed several old vampire trails during their hunt and were consequently now moving slower and more cautiously. There were six distinct scents, not all of which had been at the compound in Nuevo Laredo. And none of them were Maria's.

"They're bringing kills back to her," Jasper said, remembering back to his own time in Maria's service. "She'd never lower herself to come down here into this filth if she could help it."

Peter and Charlotte agreed. "Just with the scents we've crossed so far, we're looking at maybe upwards of ten vampires that we'll have to deal with. And one of those, at least, will probably be using some sort of power."

"The numbers won't be a problem. The talent, on the other hand–"

"Definitely a problem."

Jasper huffed. "Definitely unknown... It seems like maybe something like Alec of the Volturi, maybe? You two sure acted like you were unconscious or semi-conscious for quite a chunk of time. And it might be able to get through Bella's shield. We can't count on her shield to cover our asses this time, like she did in Romania." He was almost talking to himself now, but Peter and Charlotte didn't mind. It was a change for them – the Jasper they'd known and with whom they'd served never spoke, let alone planned out loud.

Peter vacillated between being fascinated at seeing how Jasper's brain worked and wishing he would just shut up – the process wasn't nearly as impressive as he would have thought, based on the typical end results Jasper achieved. Some things were better left unknown.

"But we're fairly certain the talent is coming from Abeo." He glanced at Peter and Charlotte, as if looking for confirmation, and they both nodded in agreement. "So he needs to go first, or as soon as possible. She didn't have him guarded, though – not in the hotel, and definitely not when he was with her the other night. Doe he not need a guard? So his talent is quick acting? Or is she getting lazy in her old age...?"

"_You_ never needed a guard," Peter pointed out.

"I never _got _a guard," Jasper corrected him. "There is a difference. Maria has always been about survival of the fittest – if I couldn't take care of myself, she didn't need me taking up space. She has never valued her...employees. Oh, she gave me treats and rewards aplenty when I performed well, but to truly take care of her coven members…that, my friend, was not something she did. I don't want to assume that nothing has changed in that area, but..."

"But there's a good chance that her prized coven member will not be impossible to take out," Peter concluded.

"Correct. If Abeo _is _the one with the talent…well, he seemed more than a bit 'not quite all there' the other night when he was with her at the reservoir."

"He might have been using his talent on _you_ the other night, making sure you didn't pay too much attention to what was going on. That ever occur to you?"

"More than once, Peter, and at the hotel too. If we're lucky, maybe we'll run across one of her coven members and get some more information out of them."

"Incoming!" Charlotte hissed. "Two…male…maybe a mile away. Good thing we're downwind."

Peter and Jasper looked at each other in surprise. "Well, that certainly was convenient," Peter whispered.

"Yeah. Too convenient?" Jasper mused.

"Does it matter? Don't overthink it, Jasper. After all, we are on _their _hunting grounds," Peter said. "There are only two of them. Charlotte and I will get them. You stay here – no sense giving away your presence too soon."

"Carefully now," Jasper replied. "I only need one. Destroy one of them – I don't care which one. Make sure the other one sees it, though, and then bring him to me."

They nodded and disappeared into the darkness.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

**AN: Next week's chapter might be late...a last minute trip to the beach is in my near future, and I'm not sure what the return date is...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Last time on "Chaotic Dynamics":**

_"Incoming!" Charlotte hissed. "Two…male…maybe a mile away. Good thing we're downwind."_

Peter and Jasper looked at each other in surprise. "Well, that certainly was convenient," Peter whispered.

"Yeah. Too convenient?" Jasper mused.

"Does it matter? Don't overthink it, Jasper. After all, we are on their hunting grounds," Peter said. "There are only two of them. Charlotte and I will get them. You stay here – no sense giving away your presence too soon."

"Carefully now," Jasper replied. "I only need one. Destroy one of them – I don't care which one. Make sure the other one sees it, though, and then bring him to me."

They nodded and disappeared into the darkness.

**Chapter 27**

Even a mile away, Jasper's hearing picked up the sound of tearing vampire flesh a few moments after Peter and Charlotte had disappeared into the darkness. The slums, usually active at all hours of the day or night, were strangely silent, as if the inhabitants were aware that something walked their alleyways that they would be better off avoiding. Soon after that, Peter and Charlotte returned, Charlotte carrying two severed legs and Peter carrying the rest of a male vampire. Peter had the young blond male he was carrying in a firm grip, making sure the stranger had no use of his arms, and he had his hand firmly clamped over his prisoner's mouth in such a way that it would only take a quick twist to decapitate him.

"This is Josh. His friend, Lucio, had to decline your invitation to chat," Peter said. His head turned slightly back to the west. A faint trickle of smoke could be seen, the source of which was obvious - at least to vampires.

"Pity," Jasper said, stepping out of the shadows of the building and approaching the others. The dim light of the moon overhead was more than enough for their vampire sight, but there was no sign of recognition on Josh's face when Jasper's form was fully visible. Fear, yes, but no sign that the other vampire recognized him. Jasper, for his part, certainly did not recognize Josh, but his scent was familiar from the faded trails they'd crossed elsewhere in the city.

"What the hell do you want?" Josh hissed. "This territory is claimed! You'll regret this, all of you!"

"I seriously doubt that," Jasper said quietly, circling them slowly, his eyes never leaving Josh's.

"You will!" Josh insisted. Jasper could tell by his emotions that he'd already given up. Having seen what had happened to his companion, Josh knew he was as good as dead. But he wasn't going out without some belligerence and fight. "My coven is strong and my mistress will avenge me!"

Jasper laughed now. "I doubt that even more!" he said. "Maria wouldn't waste time avenging her best friend, let alone one of her drones!"

Shock showed on Josh's face at the knowledge that his captors did indeed know who they were dealing with. Jasper could almost see the wheels turning in the boy's head as he quickly connected the dots.

"You're Jasper Whitlock," he said. His fear now mingled with curiosity, disgust, and a bit of admiration.

"I am. How is it that you know that, young one?" Jasper pushed a healthy dose of cooperation at him. As much as he wanted to use fear, he thought perhaps he'd get more information by using a more positive emotion, even if it hadn't really worked with Heriberto. He was questioning his own techniques more than a little bit after the recent fiasco at the human's compound.

"I don't know...Lucio and me, we were just thinking that this whole mess with that female was just some tit-for-tat revenge thing between you and Maria–" His words cut off as Jasper grabbed him by the neck and squeezed. Even a vampire needs air to create sound, and the only sound Josh was now making was a strange sort of gurgling noise.

"Did you touch her?" Jasper snarled. Josh gurgled back at him, and the only emotion Jasper could feel now was fear. "Did you?"

"Uh...Jasper...you gotta release him a bit if you want him to answer," Peter pointed out, although he didn't release his own hold on Josh's arms.

Jasper loosened his grip a little. "Tell me – did you touch her? And don't lie, 'cause I'll know if you do."

"I did, I did," Josh said quickly, his voice distorted while his throat attempted to mend itself. "But not like _that_! I just, she's not mine to touch! Maria had us hold her down while she–" Fear surged through him again.

Jasper was in his face in an instant. "While she _what_?" he hissed. "_What _did Maria do to her?" This time he was careful to not crush the young vampire's throat.

"Concrete. Had to trap her so she couldn't move. Make her easier to transport."

The answer surprised all three of them, and Jasper stepped back, his eyes flying up to meet first Peter's, then Charlotte's. Peter shrugged. "Alice _did_say she saw her trapped somehow..."

"But...concrete? I don't get it," Jasper said. "That just sounds...stupid. Stupid and useless."

Evidently Josh saw this as a possible opportunity to earn some brownie points. "We had to move her from Nuevo Laredo, and Maria didn't wanna pull her apart to transport her. Didn't wanna mark her up more than she already was. She saw this in an old movie or something and thought it might work. She fought like the devil at first – tore us up something horrible, stupid bi–" Josh cut off when Jasper's growl rose in volume. "Anyway, she fought pretty hard. Took four of us to hold her down, then Abeo really had to up his shit before she quit struggling and we were able to get it done. Then he had to stick around while it set, long enough to hold her and we could put her on the truck. Soon as it set, he and Maria took off to get him fed. It had all drained him so bad. And we headed down here with the girl."

"Abeo." Jasper latched on to the name. "What did he do? You said he did something."

Josh tightened his lips, clearly wishing he hadn't let that bit of information drop.

"Might as well tell us," Peter said, leaning in close to his ear. "You're going to die either way, boy. The question is: will it be quick and painless, like you're friend's ending, or slow and painful?"

To drive home Peter's words, Jasper sent a wave of terror at Josh, who shrieked in reaction. Jasper could sense the humans in the shacks around them cower even further into their beds in reactions of their own.

"Abeo is Maria's favorite," Josh whispered, a hint of hysteria in his voice. "He's like some drugged out Rastafarian or something. Me and Lucio, we been with her for years... Since before the fire. We were all out hunting when it happened."

Jasper and Peter looked at each other and shrugged. They had no idea what fire the boy was talking about, but they weren't about to interrupt him to ask when he was clearly on a roll.

"After the fire, she just took off. Left me and Lucio behind, standing there with nothin' but a hole in the ground to call home. We didn't know what to do – we weren't even a year old yet, ya know? She'd promised us she was going to take care of us... She was our sire. We tried to follow her, but she attacked us. Tore up Lucio pretty badly too. So we stayed around here. Didn't know where else to go. And we were familiar with Monterrey, knew the hunting grounds. We thought...hoped...she'd come back. And she did, about a year later, with Abeo beside her. She found him down in Tampico. I guess she was in the process of draining him and he was high as a kite. He started spouting some sort of shit, and she thought he was having visions."

Jasper and Peter exchanged concerned glances this time. Was this Abeo some sort of seer, like Alice? If he was, it would put a whole new spin on things. Jasper had to interrupt Josh now.

"Was he…is he…_does_he see things?"

"Nah. If he did before the change, it disappeared with the burn. When he came out the other side, the only thing he brought with him was a case of the munchies."

"What?" Jasper asked, not understanding a damn thing the boy was talking about.

"The munchies. You know, from smoking weed?"

"He smokes pot? As a vampire?" Jasper was truly puzzled now.

"He's sidetracking us," Peter snarled, tightening his hold and causing Josh to yelp in pain.

"No, no...hang on, Peter. Explain, boy!"

"He d–d–doesn't smoke it anymore," Josh stammered. "He, just…well, he's stoned. Like, permanently. He was stoned when she changed him and he just stayed that way."

"And she _kept_him?" Peter said, clearly perplexed. "That's doesn't seem like her at all... It seems like he'd be a major liability. I mean, I see humans like that all the time. Not really the sort I'd want to bring into my coven."

"Oh, yeah! He has to feed, like, _all_the time – once a week, at least, if he's not projecting; once or more a day if he is. It's a pain in the ass because he doesn't even hunt for himself."

"Projecting?" Jasper asked sharply. "Explain!" He sent another dose of cooperation at Josh and was pleased to see that it was working like normal. Maybe it was just interrogating humans that he didn't have a talent for.

"He projects…like, onto the people around him. So that they're just like him. It's kind of neat in small doses – almost like being human again. But if he ups the dosage, or whatever, WAM! You're out of it completely. That's why Maria kept him around after she found out that he doesn't really have visions. At least, not now that he's a vampire."

"Well, shit," Peter said, looking over at Charlotte and then back at Jasper. "That explains everything!"

"Yeah." Jasper looked thoughtful. "But Bella's shield worked against it, at least for a little while, in the hotel room."

"For her, maybe," Peter said, sounding a little bitter.

"Hey!" Jasper growled. "As much as she didn't get on with you, Peter, she wouldn't have left you and Charlotte hanging if she thought she had a choice."

"Okay, okay," Peter backtracked, "but I think we better be prepared for her _not_ being about to help us, ya know? It might be that she's barely able to hang on to her own damn mind – after all, she did end up trapped in a block of concrete _some_how. I can't imagine she was all that willing to participate in _that_. Josh, here, says she fought like the devil till Abeo upped the dose he was sending her, so...it either worked or she was faking it for some reason."

"You still convinced she was doing all this so we'd be forced to save those humans?"

Peter snorted. "If she was, it sure as hell did backfire, didn't it? But no, no I don't. I don't know why any of this has happened to her or why she let it happen, if she let it. And we won't find out until we get her out of there. So how 'bout we get this show on the road before the men with the big guns show up again."

"I don't think they're coming now. I really think the tracer was in the uniform."

"Yeah, maybe, but I don't feel so safe in that assumption, if you'll forgive me."

Jasper shrugged. No matter what sort of weapons they were carrying, he couldn't worry about what the humans might be doing right now. "Where is Isabella?" Jasper growled at Josh, getting right in his face and causing him to flinch.

"Wh–who?" he said.

"The girl you spoke of – where is she?"

"Can't you just follow my trail back?" Josh asked, confused now.

Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Let me be more specific. I want you to tell me exactly what I will find when I _do_follow your trail back in a few minutes." He sent more cooperation at the boy, combined with a sense of urgency.

"Uh...it's a farmhouse. Maria's in a farmhouse. Close to her old den. Lucio and I found it while she was gone, after the fire. We fixed it up. Up in the mountains, about 17 miles west of here. Only three rooms, but we hollowed out rooms under it... There are a couple of escape tunnels – we didn't want to be trapped again, like what happened last time. And we got a holding pen now, too, to keep humans around – that was Maria's idea. Just in case. I don't know…she seems to think their presence might slow down the humans if they come after us again..." Josh was rambling now, the fear of his impending death starting to overwhelm anything else Jasper could throw at him.

"Humans coming after _you_?" Peter asked. All of them were thinking about their recent encounters.

"Yeah, I guess they thought we were some sort of rival gang. Happened a few years ago. They came and just...blew up our den. Killed most of us. They didn't even know anybody was down there. I mean, why would they, you know? They were looking for humans, using infrared and stuff. Of course they didn't see anything. So they just dropped a couple bunker-busters down the hole, thinking they were blowing up a drug cache or something. Only Maria, me, and Lucio survived. We were out hunting, like I said before." His emotions turned bitter. "I had a girl, you know. Not a mate, but...I liked her. A lot. Maria, she didn't care, as long as it didn't interfere with business. She was down there. Nothing but ashes left when it was over. Go ahead and kill me, Jasper Whitlock. I don't even care anymore."

"I _will_kill you," Jasper assured him, "but only after you answer a few more questions."

Josh slumped, feeling almost relieved. All the bravado and fight had drained out of him.

"She's in one of the rooms in the basement. First one at the bottom of the stairs. You're too late, though, if you were thinking to get there in time to save your whore."

"What the hell does _that_mean?" Peter growled. Jasper had gone rigid as soon as the word 'whore' had come out of Josh's mouth, and Peter figured he had about two seconds to get any more useful information out of the doomed vampire.

"Because. She belongs to Abeo now! He saw her that first night at the hotel in Laredo, and he wanted her. And Maria indulges him with whatever he wants to keep him at her side. She's a pretty little present, wrapped up all nice and tight for Abeo to play his sick little games with. There won't be anything left of her worth rescuing when _he's_done with her. And we crossed his inbound path as we were leaving."

With a roar of rage, Jasper ripped the vampire's head off and flung it away into the darkness. Charlotte dropped the legs she was holding and ran off after the severed head, returning a few seconds later.

"Burn it!" Jasper growled. "We're done here."

Peter quickly tore some boards off a nearby shack to help the fire along, throwing Josh's torso, limbs, and head on top of the wood. Charlotte pulled some matches from her pocket, striking them and throwing them on the venom-soaked pile. The fire caught quickly, and soon the sweet smell of burning vampire spread through the night, although the three vampires were long gone before that happened.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

Jasper touched Peter's arm lightly, and Peter turned to look at him. "Guard," Jasper mouthed silently, pointing into the darkness to their left. Peter nodded and gestured for Charlotte to move around to the left while he took the right. Before the guard knew what hit him, his head was sailing off into the darkness and Peter was beginning to dismember the rest of the body.

"No burning," Jasper whispered. "Too close". They could smell the vampire nest from where they were, probably only a mile out now. Coming from downwind as they were, they had to hope the inhabitants didn't smell them as well.

Peter looked up at him and rolled his eyes. "Not stupid here, Jasper." Before Jasper could move away, Peter leaped up and smeared venom leaking from one of the guard's severed limbs down his chest.

"Gotta hide our scent," he whispered, grinning at Jasper's reaction of disgust. "No sneaking up on them for us this time – she'll recognize your talent immediately. It's the old fashion way for us in this campaign."

"No shit, Sherlock," Jasper hissed, grabbing the limb from him and applying the venom to himself. Peter just grinned and handed a leg to Charlotte before snapping an arm into smaller pieces and rubbing venom on his own skin. When they were done, they began tearing what was left of the vampire into even smaller bits before throwing them in various directions.

"That ought to keep him out of our hair for a while," Peter whispered.

Jasper nodded. Not being able to burn the parts was dangerous, but they didn't have a choice. It would take at least twenty-four hours for a vampire that torn apart and spread out to reassemble itself. If they were still in the area at that point, they'd be having bigger worries than one recently reassembled guard.

"A moment..." Jasper whispered, holding his hand up when Peter made to move off towards the house. He relaxed as best he could and reached out with all his senses, hoping to at least find out how many they were dealing with.

The first thing he felt was the absence of anything that rested at the other end of the invisible strand that pulled him towards his mate. While he would have preferred to have felt something – preferably something _positive_– it was almost comforting to feel the familiar void that was her shield. It told him that she was at least alive and well enough to be actively protecting herself. It helped him relax, however minutely.

There were five other vampires stationed at some distance from the house, presumably acting as guards. Jasper wondered if this was a normal number or if Maria was expecting visitors – either Jasper himself or somebody else. When he had been with her, there had always been more – but that had been a time of war, and Maria's soldiers had been plentiful for a reason. He quickly and silently communicated their number and location to Peter and Charlotte, and then he sent a bit of curiosity at Peter; the equivalent of asking his opinion.

Peter thought for a moment, then looked in the direction of the house and back at Jasper before shrugging, picking up on his cue to remain silent.

Jasper carefully sent feelers out towards the farmhouse, accompanied by a faint – and hopefully undetectable by Maria – sense of complacency. It was a risk, but one he felt safe in taking.

Six more at the house. Plus Bella. He hesitated for a moment, letting the void that was his mate seep into him again. After a moment, though, he gave a slight shake and returned to himself. He held up seven fingers and then lowered one, mouthing her name. Peter understood and gestured towards the house before holding up his middle fingers in the direction of the guards.

Jasper understood and agreed with his evaluation. Take advantage of what little surprise they had, and fuck the guards – they'd deal with them when the time came. Their only hope of success was being able to surprise the ones in the house.

A few seconds later they were halfway to the house when Peter's hands shot out and grabbed Jasper's and Charlotte's arms, yanking them close to him where he was now crouched behind a large boulder.

"What is it?" Jasper mouthed angrily. The chances of them surprising anybody had just dropped considerably, and to say he was pissed was putting it mildly.

"That scent... I know that scent!" Peter whispered frantically, almost shrilly.

"What scent?" Jasper said, lifting his head and inhaling deeply. Isabella, his sweet Isabella...that skank, Maria...Abeo and his scent that Jasper now recognized as having a faint hint of cannabis underlying it...and four others, all male. A low growl escaped him before he could catch it at the thought of all those males alone with _his_mate, who was even now trapped and helpless.

"I know that scent!" Peter said.

"Well, I should hope so–" Jasper said, but Peter interrupted him.

"Not Bella's and Maria's... I recognize one of the others. It's Natan–"

"Who?"

"Natan. A nomad."

"Haven't met him," Jasper said, shaking his head.

"Really?" Peter looked surprised. "I'm surprised he hasn't looked the Cullens up. Curiosity is his driving force, and I'd think he'd be plenty curious about you all."

Jasper shook his head again. "Is he dangerous?"

Peter shook his head again. "No more so than any of us. I'm kind of shocked to see him here, aligned with Maria, though. Really, _really_shocked. I always took him to be sort of a lone wolf kinda guy."

Charlotte was nodding. "Maybe he's just here observing."

Peter nodded too. "Yeah – that would make more sense."

Jasper snorted quietly. "Well, it'll be really bad timing on his part if that's the case. Talented?"

"Good at languages. Fantastic observation skills. Don't know if it's a true gift or just skills he brought through the burn with him. He's Russian – from Kazan, actually. Turned during Ivan IV's rule–"

"Peter," Jasper interrupted him, "I don't need a life history. I just need to know how he figures into Maria's coven. Any friend of Maria's is an enemy of mine."

"That's what I don't get," Peter said, feeling concerned. "Natan knows Maria, and he has always expressed a great dislike for both her and her methods of operation. I can't understand why he's here."

"I neither know nor care, as long as he doesn't possess some talent that I need to worry about," Jasper snarled. "Enough talk! Three knowns, three unknowns, five additional outliers – canon fodder. You two cover me; I'll go for Abeo immediately. Understand?"

Peter and Charlotte nodded. Once more they headed for the house – a little slower this time, hoping that the scent of Josh's venom would confuse things long enough for them to attack. They were in the yard when they heard voices from inside.

"Ah, they're back!" Maria said, her voice coming from somewhere below them, presumably in the underground rooms Josh had told them about.

"Only one," growled one of the unknown males. "Josh."

"No, there are three," another voice argued, confusion showing.

"And no blood." Jasper was pretty sure this voice belonged to Abeo, the lazy accented drawl tinted with hunger and anger he had no problem recognizing. He suddenly felt tired, a lazy haze enveloping him.

They had to act fast.

"Now!" he hissed at Peter and Charlotte, whose own emotions were becoming cloudy.

They burst through the front of the house, Peter grabbing one of the vampires within and ripping its head off. Jasper continued straight through the room for the stairs on the other side, pleased that their surprise attack had allowed them to take at least one of the enemy out. This might work out after all.

He was down the stairs in an instant and had just enough time to take in Bella's face – filled with fear – before the world began to go even hazier around him. He fought it as hard as he could, but it was no use. He felt himself stumble, then fall slowly to his knees. The last thing he heard was Maria's triumphant laughter and Bella's screech of rage.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Relax. Contract.

Creak.

Relax. Contract.

Creak.

Relax. Contract.

Crack.

Oops. Too much. Nobody appeared in the doorway to check on her, though.

Bella took a deep breath and tried to relax more.

Relax. Contract.

Creak.

"You'd best hurry up if you expect to make some sort of spectacular breakout before Maria gets back down here," Natan said pleasantly, appearing in the doorway. "Right now she's happily focused on feeding, but there were only a couple of meals left in the feeding room and she's rather put out about that. Evidently this Abeo friend of hers is a heavy drinker. She's sent the Bobbsey twins out to catch some more, but she expects Abeo back before them. And she assures me that he will be in a bad mood, too, coming home and finding the cupboard bare, as it were. They'll both have nothing better to do than focus on you while they wait for his dinner to arrive."

Bella stared at him for a moment, weighing her options and trying to decide if he'd heard her or was just making a general observation. She'd been hoping to attract no attention at all, but that was clearly not an option anymore. Escaping now was not really what she'd had planned. Jasper was close – too close – and she could feel the pull to him growing stronger. She knew her mate well enough that if she were to escape and run to him now, he would not turn around and escape into the darkness with her without confronting Maria first. And if what Maria had said was true about Abeo…well, she knew she wouldn't be allowed to run without anyone giving chase. No, things were going to come to a head here in this hovel, and as it stood, she – and her questionable ability to block Abeo's powers, at least on herself – might be their only hope. So she was hoping to weaken the concrete to the point where she could just burst out of it at the appropriate moment – as soon as the cavalry arrived and Abeo was within easy reach of her.

Rather like a scene from an adventure movie. Or a horror movie, considering the players in the drama.

"A little help might be nice if you're so damned concerned about it," Bella finally grated out, any pretense of ignoring the man thrown out the window along with not wanting to ask for help. After all...it never hurt to ask. And this Natan fellow did not seem to be overly tied to Maria in any way aside from the fact that he was her 'guest'. Whatever the hell that meant. After all, at one point, Maria had called Bella her guest, too. Bella was thinking they might have different definitions for the word.

"Well, now, I could help you," Natan admitted, walking closer, "but then I wouldn't be able to get the answer to something that has been bothering me since I got here."

"And what might that be?" Bella hissed, resuming the slow relaxing and contracting of her muscles, hoping to make some sort of progress in weakening the concrete that held her.

"If this harebrained idea Maria had of using concrete to restrain a vampire actually works – and if so, for how long? I can hear what you're doing, by the way. I wouldn't recommend doing it if she's in here. She's in a foul enough mood already, and she might just snap your head off. You've made her very nervous, you know. I'd almost think she was second guessing her decision to bring you here if I didn't know her well enough to know that she's all but incapable of questioning herself."

"Fuck her. And you, too, while you're at it."

Natan ignored her. "Tell me...does it seem like you're making any progress at all in there?" He leaned down to examine the concrete more closely. "I'm not seeing any signs of stress on the outside. I'm assuming she used some sort of reinforcing substance?" He looked up at her, clearly expecting a response.

Bella rolled her eyes. That was all he was getting from her on the subject.

"No matter. I'm no expert on concrete, so it likely would have meant nothing to me, anyway. It seems to be holding you quite nicely, though. So far, at least."

Bella glared at him and contracted her muscles again. There was another faint crack, and to her surprise – and elation – she found that she was able to move her right hand. Just a fraction of a fraction of an inch, but still…it was definite progress. Given a few more minutes, it might be enough for her to break out… Facing whatever was coming while trapped in a concrete block did not appeal to her at all. And while Natan clearly wasn't going to help her, it appeared that he wasn't going to hinder her, either. Or call down Maria.

"Why do you even care?" Bella whispered, continuing to try to move.

"I already told you."

"Yeah…you're bored. And I'm entertaining." Bella started to think that maybe he'd be the second person she'd kill when she got out, saving Maria for third. Or maybe, once Abeo was out of the picture, Jasper would recover quickly enough and want to kill Maria himself. "Are you sure you even want to be caught talking to me?"

Natan chuckled. "As I said, Maria is otherwise...occupied...right now." He glanced at the ceiling, where the sounds of feeding had turned to sounds of another sort of activity altogether. "The two boys are not the only coven members present right now – and they are all more than eager to attend to their mistress' needs."

Bella rolled her eyes. "And you called me a whore!"

"Well, I didn't mean it. I was just trying to get a reaction out of you," Natan said, grinning at her.

"I don't get you at all," Bella said, looking at him with interest in spite of herself.

"Ah, I've been told that by many, many people," Natan said, nodding.

"I'm not a whore," she told him, though she didn't know why she bothered.

"I believe you. I figured that out all on my own. Maria is an idiot. I don't like her or her methods. Never have; never will."

"Yet there you stand, doing nothing against her. You're a coward!" Bella snapped.

"I'm a realist. I've already told you that. A realist…a pessimist, call it what you will. I don't favor my chances if it were to come down to me against Abeo if I were to assist you in getting loose, and I have no desire to die today."

"You're still going to die when J– when he gets here, anyway," Bella said, nodding to herself and looking pleased. "You're all going to die!"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Others have tried and failed through the years."

"Not him. He doesn't fail."

"Never say never, child," Natan chided. "That is something you need to learn early on in this eternity we have."

Bella considered his advice. It was good advice, of that she had no doubt. She needed no one to lecture her on how fast eternity could change. But in this case...she had faith in the ending she envisioned. Already she could feel Jasper drawing closer, closer...only miles away now. He was coming for her, and they'd destroy this Maria and her coven. Together. And this one standing in front of her now, too, if she had any say in it.

She was now able to move most of her fingers in both hands, almost able to make a fist. She began trying to twist her hands now, hollowing out an ever larger area within the concrete as it ground to dust against her skin. It was slow going, but she considered it progress.

Unfortunately, the sound of a door bursting open somewhere above them, accompanied by a pleased cry from Maria, told her it was too little, too late.

Natan's eyes went to the ceiling briefly before he leaned in closer to Bella to whisper in her ear. "I suggest, my dear, that you do whatever it is you do to ward yourself against his power."

She hissed in denial.

"Don't bother with that. You may fool them, but you don't fool me. I am extremely observant. It's a gift of mine, if you will. For instance, I am confident that your grasp of the Russian language is very rudimentary at best while your grasp of Spanish is quite a bit better. More importantly, though, I'm willing to bet quite a bit that Abeo's talent has little or no effect on you. What I don't know is why, since that is the case, you bothered letting them bring you here. I find myself quite taken with you – your presence has turned what was going to be another boring visit spent watching Maria strut and brag into something truly interesting. I almost feel as if I owe you something for it."

"If that's the way you feel, you could pay me back by helping me!" Bella growled softly, trying once more to get him to help her.

"Ah, but that would end the show rather prematurely, wouldn't it? And while I feel safe in my belief that you may be safe from his powers, I have no such belief in your desire – or ability – to protect me from him. And as I just said, I have no desire to give them any reason destroy me. Sorry, my dear, but I'm afraid you are on your own for this."

Natan moved back away from her and crossed over to the stairway. He leaned against the doorway and assumed an aloof, if watchful, stance. To Bella's shock, he winked at her.

What the hell did that mean? Was he going to help her, after all? Well, she sure as hell wasn't going to count on it. But still...maybe...maybe she had an ally, after all.

A second later, Maria and Abeo flitted down the steps. Maria looked rumpled and very pleased with herself. She also smelled strongly of sex, and Bella wrinkled her nose in disgust. Maria did a little pirouette in the middle of the floor before gesturing at Bella.

"Here she is, mi amor!" she trilled in Spanish, looking for all the world like a demonic version of Vanna White. Bella didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

More importantly, she had no idea if she should still be alert or acting as if Abeo's powers were working on her. She didn't dare drop her shield to see if she felt something, not even a little bit. It had only taken a split second for him to start affecting her back at the hotel room when she'd attempted to shield Charlotte. Luckily, Abeo himself answered the question for her.

"She is difficult to control," he said petulantly. Bella immediately slumped and let her eyelids droop. Maria spun to look at her closely.

"Nonsense!" she said. "Look, it just took a moment. It's probably because you need to feed–"

"And whose fault is that?" Abeo asked, a little anger seeping into his voice. "You promised there would be something here for me before I got started on my present."

What a spoiled brat, Bella thought.

"Joshua and Lucio will be back soon with something for us," Maria cooed, appearing in front of him and stroking his chest in what she must have thought was a soothing manner. Bella tried not to gag. Natan was not so successful.

"What?" she snapped at Natan.

He raised his hands defensively, obviously not wishing to anger her further – not with her talented pet standing so close.

"Nothing," he said. "I am just thinking that I should probably be leaving soon. I came thinking there would be something new to see, but it is always the same old thing with you, Maria. I was curious about your interactions with humans, but now that appears to be over. And I have no desire to be present while you two play your 'games' with this one." His eyes flickered over to meet Bella's, a silent apology in them.

"But I haven't told you all my plans yet!" Maria said, almost pouting again. "I told you, Natan, it is a whole new world for our kind now that the Volturi are gone. It is time we stepped up and took our rightful place in the world. The things I have learned from the humans over the last few years will go far in helping us overcome any obstacles they place in front of us."

"Oh, my dear Maria, you truly are never changing," Natan said. "As power hungry as ever, and as foolishly optimistic as ever. Perhaps I will return in a bit, when you have finished and are better able to focus on the subject." He glanced at Bella again, longer this time, making sure Maria knew what he was referring to.

Abeo had drifted over to where Bella stood trapped. He was stroking her head softly and murmuring in a language other than Spanish. It was all Bella could do not to respond with a shudder. She didn't know what the words meant, and she wasn't sure of the intent behind them. She was sure, however, that no good would come of this man touching her.

Maria was at their side instantly. "So pretty, eh, Abeo? And so much sturdier than those others back in Nuevo Laredo! You like your present, mi amore?"

Abeo turned to look at Maria, a smile on his face for the first time since Bella had seen him. It sent chills down her spine. "Sì, Maria. Very much. Thank you for bringing her to me. You are too kind to me."

Bella really wanted to gag now.

"We'll have so much fun with her, mi amore." Maria reached out to cup Bella's chin, raising her face and turning it towards them. "Look how pretty. How young. So much fun..."

Bella did shiver this time, but it wasn't just from Maria's words. Jasper was here, almost to the house. Shit, shit, shit! He was almost here and she was still firmly trapped in the concrete, unable to help him. What to do, what to do...

Shield him, protect him. He was her mate.

But the shield probably wouldn't work. And if it did, he wouldn't be able to use his own powers against the vampires. But he wouldn't need to. Without Abeo's power stopping him, the vampires present would be no problem for Jasper to take out alone. And he might not be alone – he might have help. Peter and Charlotte might be with him.

Shield him. Protect him.

But if she tried, there was no guarantee it would work. Natan had been right in that respect. Back at the hotel, trying to shield Charlotte, as well as herself, had been a failure. If she sent her shield out to include him, would they both come under Abeo's powers? If she collapsed, would the shield snap back around her, protecting her once more? Now was no time to experiment. She had to decide.

Shield him. Or hope he was able to make it far enough to kill Abeo before he was overcome.

But did Jasper even realize what he was up against? She had no way of knowing what he knew or didn't know.

Shield him. Protect him.

Shield him, and they might both die. She had to get out of this concrete and take out Abeo. Abeo was so close. Too close. She felt his power beating on her shield; felt it almost like a physical sensation. It was wearing her down. This wasn't working like she'd thought it would.

"Ah, they're back!" Maria said, cocking her head and listening.

"Only one," growled a voice from upstairs. "Josh."

"No, there are three," another male argued.

"And no blood," Abeo said, pouting again.

Maria looked more alert. "Abeo," she hissed, "protect us!"

Somewhere upstairs a door exploded inward, and the sound of enraged roaring filled the air. All eyes swung toward the staircase but nobody moved.

"Jasper…" Maria whispered in disbelief.

Bella frantically tried to break free of the concrete, not caring who heard her now. Instinct drove her to throw her shield around her mate, all rational thought gone from her head as she tried to get to him. She began to feel the effects of Abeo's power, the shield weakened by sharing, and her struggle to break free began to fail. The roaring upstairs intensified, supplemented by the sound of rending vampire flesh.

"Abeo!" Maria hissed again, sounding more worried now, almost frightened. As well she should be, Bella thought smugly.

Bella felt her head clear as Abeo began to focus his attention on the vampires upstairs. She twisted in the concrete and felt it begin to give way. Suddenly Jasper was down the stairs, leaping toward her. She started to yell in triumph, but it turned into a screech of anger and rage as Jasper's eyes glazed over and he collapsed to the floor in front of her.

Her shield had not been strong enough for them both. The rage changed to despair as she felt all the energy being drained from her. She was barely able to make out Maria's triumphant yell or the sound of two more bodies hitting the floor of the basement room. As she began to pass out, though, her shield came back to her, leaving Jasper totally unprotected but her alert once more. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see Natan launch himself at Abeo, somehow managing to twist himself in mid-air and land two solid kicks to the concrete encasing her, sending cracks shattering through her cage.

Natan and Abeo hit the floor in a tangle of limbs and snarling teeth, alone together for a split second before Maria joined the fray. Bella wasted a precious moment watching the snarling mess of vampires roll across the floor in front of her, until one of them landed a solid kick – missing their intended target but connecting solidly with a still unconscious Jasper's face.

Another screech of rage came from her, and this time when she twisted within her prison, she was rewarded with the sound of breaking concrete. Natan was now unconscious on the floor, joining Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte as victims of Abeo's talent. Abeo and Maria turned on Bella together, and once again she felt her shield waver under the full onslaught of Abeo's power. It didn't matter now, though. She was free.

The concrete fell away from her completely as she launched herself at Abeo, wrapping herself around him and grabbing his head. He turned his head at the last minute and sunk his teeth into her arm, almost severing it near the wrist. At the same time, Maria jumped on Bella's back and sunk her teeth into her neck. Bella tried to ignore the pain and fought the instinctive urge to drop her attack on Abeo in order to turn and meet the much more physically dangerous attack by Maria.

It took everything she had to focus on the vampire in front of her, ignoring the feel of teeth slowly cutting through her spinal column at the base of her neck. One last twist with her remaining good hand, and to her amazement, Abeo's head twisted free from his torso. She flung it across the floor, barely having time to feel a sense of victory before she sank to the floor herself, howling in pain.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N** Well, folks, here we are...I can't believe I/we finally made it. Poor JaspersDestiny was up until all hours of the night last night so I could get this up today...she truly understands my OCD issues, bless her.

**Chapter 29**

"Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Where are we again?" Bella asked, her voice a lazy drawl in the heat.

"About ten miles southwest of Big Bend National Park, Texas."

"It's nice here. I like the heat."

"I thought you might."

"You don't think anybody'll see us, do you?"

"We're pretty remote, Bella. And we'll know if anybody gets too close."

"What about airplanes…?"

"Bella. Just...relax. Relax and enjoy it. Nothing is going to get us. Nobody is going to see us. We're safe."

It killed Bella to feel the insecurity behind Jasper's words. The past week had shaken him badly. Hell, it had shaken her badly. She turned her head to look at him. They were both stretched out, fingers entwined, soaking up the sun's rays on their fronts and the radiant heat from the rock beneath them on their backs. Abruptly she flipped on her side, snuggling up to her mate and pushing feelings of reassurance and trust at him, hoping he'd believe her. He barely relaxed, but it was progress and it would have to do. For now.

"Do we have to go back?" she murmured against his skin, one hand reaching out to trace circles on his stomach. To her delight, he began to purr.

"Eventually. I thought we might…you know, visit Peter and Charlotte for a bit first... Just, you know..."

"Until your eyes change back."

"Yeah," Jasper said, tensing up again.

"They aren't going to care, Jasper. The rest of the family won't judge you."

"Those were innocent people, Bella. It's not like I took a bite out of Heriberto or any of his cronies."

"Extenuating circumstances, Jasper. The fact that anybody made it out alive is a miracle. The law called for them all to be destroyed. And as you and Carlisle so recently pointed out to me, that law is still a good one even if its enforcers weren't so great."

"Yeah, well, I figured it was a good time to bend the law a little bit."

"Thank you," Bella said softly, her hand dipping a little lower on his abdomen, causing his purr to rise in volume.

"Do you think Peter was able to get the Prius working?"

Jasper grabbed her hand, stopping its movement. "Bella?" he said.

"Yes, Jasper?"

"I don't wanna talk about Peter right now. I don't wanna talk about anything right now."

"Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"Me either."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

"Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Are there always this many shooting stars here in the South? Or is this a meteor shower?"

"Um...I think it's still too early for the Geminids meteor shower, and it's too late for the Leonids. Or maybe it's not – hell, I don't even know what day it is. I think it's just because the air is so clear here that it makes it easier to spot them. It's one of the few things I missed about the South: star watching. Being with the Cullens, settling in and living amongst the humans…well, it always meant living in places that were cloudy a lot."

"Mmmhmm. I remember the stars being bright in Phoenix – or, rather, up in the mountains around Phoenix – but never like this!"

"You can thank your vampire sight for that."

"I will."

"Didn't you watch the stars when you were, um, up in Siberia? They were quite bright there, too. Different stars, though." Not these; these, Jasper almost considered old friends.

"No. I never left the cave. And once I did, I didn't paid attention to anything around me. Until you came along, that is. Then I still didn't pay attention to anything else around me." He glanced over at her and saw her grinning at him in the darkness.

"Hmm...me either, come to think of it." He rolled over, blocking her view of the stars, and ignored her when she protested.

She didn't protest very hard.

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

"Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"We're going to need to get some clothes before we go anywhere." Bella lifted herself up on her elbows and looked over her shoulder at their naked backs, lingering for a moment to appreciate Jasper's bare ass before turning her eyes back to his face. Yesterday they'd stayed on their backs all day. Today she'd declared they needed to lie on their stomachs. It was very important, she'd explained to Jasper, to get an even tan.

He'd not bothered pointing out that they didn't tan. It seemed a good idea to him that they soak up the heat evenly, too. He also wondered when she'd become an expert on tanning. He remembered her human days quite clearly – including the fact that she'd been almost as pale as a vampire from the day she arrived from Arizona.

"I don't see why," he said, not bothering to lift his head from where he had it resting on his crossed arms. He could see her from here and that was all that was important. "We ran all the way here buck naked and you didn't protest."

"Well, if I remember correctly, you were really, really insistent about that. I wasn't about to argue...although it's all still a little bit blurry," Bella said.

"_What the hell are you talking about, Jasper?" Peter shouted over the sound of tearing vampire flesh as they ripped the corpses apart and threw them on the fire, the purple flames and smoke casting weird shadows in the darkness of the open space in front of Maria's den._

"_Their clothes! Their clothes!" Jasper gestured wildly with one hand, his other hand refusing to break contact with Bella. Her eyes were shut, the pain of Jasper's healing venom on the back of her neck making her want to cry out and scream. She was settling for more of a whimper, though. Her mate was already frantic, but now he was getting downright hysterical. His shouting about clothing forced her to open one eye out of curiosity as she tried to sit up to see what had him so agitated._

"_No, no, babe, lie back, lie back. You have to stay still..." he crooned, turning back to her and pushing her gently back to the ground._

"_What...?"_

"_Nothing. It's nothing. Relax... Dammit, Peter!" Jasper shouted again, turning back to Peter and Charlotte. "Some of Maria's guys were still in uniform from up at Heriberto's place! Get them on there first! They might have fucking tracers planted on them!"_

_Bella heard a muffled, "Oh, shit," and then a flurry of activity on the other side of the clearing._

"_Jasper?" she whispered, her voice sounding odd to her own ears. It hurt to talk, too._

"_Don't talk, baby. You gotta heal up. Don't try talking."_

"_I don't have any clothes," she said, embarrassed at being naked in front of his friends, then embarrassed and ashamed at the pettiness of it – to be worried about her nudity in the middle of the nightmare._

_Jasper jumped up and ripped his own clothes off before dropping back to her side. "Better?" he whispered, holding her with both arms now, being careful not to jostle her too much._

"_Yeah..." she whispered._

"Well...if you remember that, then you might also remember that my insistence was based on a very real and legitimate concern."

"Yeah, I remember that too," Bella said, her voice dropping, fear creeping in. Jasper reached out and grabbed her hand, tugging her back down next to him.

"Shhh... It's over now. They won't trace us here..."

"I may never wear clothes again," she whispered, remembering it all.

"Now that's my kind of thinking..."

"_Did you burn everything?" Jasper asked Peter, watching the distant fire down below them in the little box canyon where Maria's den had been._

_Peter and Charlotte finished their climb up the steep slope, coming to a stop beside Bella and Jasper. "Yep, all the guards, everybody in the house..."_

"_Not EVERYBODY in the house!" Jasper said, aggravation creeping into his voice as he glanced at Bella, who he had around him, trying to hide her nakedness from Peter and Charlotte._

"_Oh, here, Miss Bella, I brought you something. I know it was, um, hers…but you seemed a mite uncomfortable down there. I thought it might help." Peter held out a bundle of cloth towards Bella and Jasper, careful to not look at her._

"_Thank you," Bella whispered, reaching out to grab it. It turned out to be a skirt and a top. Pretty, she thought, in spite of the stink of Maria on it. She wrinkled her nose and noticed Jasper did too. But she really was uncomfortable in her nudity around almost-strangers, so she quickly pulled the outfit on. __Beside her, Jasper sighed and accepted a pair of shorts from Peter, pulling them on quickly._

"_Well, I guess we're done here," Jasper said. "Your neck feeling all right? Can you run, babe, or do you want to wait a little more?" He reached up to feel her neck, then carefully moved her hair to the side and leaned in to look closer, trying to decide for himself if she had healed enough to move on._

"_I've been better," she admitted. "But I've been a lot worse, too. I'd feel better if we just left. Every step I take north will make me feel better."_

"_Can't argue with you there, chica," Peter said. "I think we're good to go here, Jasper."_

_Jasper nodded and turned away, pulling Bella with him. "Good deal. Let's go. We need to get Bella fed, and soon." He glanced down at Bella, who nodded at him without speaking._

"_Wait a minute..." Peter said, reaching out and grabbing Jasper's arm to stop him. "Shit, shit, shit!" Peter hissed. "Sorry, Miss Bella," he said, glancing at Bella. "We've got incoming, Jasper." He pointed further down the canyon, where headlights were approaching slowly up the almost non-existent road through the wash._

"_Are you fucking KIDDING me?" Jasper asked, shock rolling off him. "Okay, everybody strip. Now!" He put action to words, pulling off his own shorts before stripping Bella of her new clothes. Charlotte began stripping her own clothes off, but Peter just stood there, staring at Jasper._

"_Stop gawping at me, man, and take your damn clothes off!" Jasper shouted._

"_B-b-but..." Peter stammered. "I got the clothes back in the States! There's no way there's anything planted in them!"_

"_I don't CARE, dammit! Strip!"_

_Peter kept arguing. "Maybe it's not the clothes... I mean, well, yeah, there are uniforms down there in the fire... That's probably what's brought them. But none of these clothes came from the compound."_

"_SHUT it, Peter! Take them off yourself or I'll do it for you, starting with your head!" Jasper growled._

_Peter stripped._

"Yeah. You were right. Naked was definitely better. Good news is you were probably right about the tracers, though. Nothing happened after we left the clothes behind. I think Peter was right about it just being the uniforms."

"Yeah, he probably was," Jasper agreed. "But was it worth taking a chance?"

"No, not really. You know what, though?"

"What?"

"What if the tracers were in the human blood? Like, little nanobots planted in the human captives? And you drank that blood! Now it's in you, so they'll be able to trace you! Maybe they just haven't gotten up here yet. Or maybe they have, and they're just waiting for us to come down off this plateau..."

Jasper looked at her in disbelief.

"Bella?"

"Yes, Jasper?"

"You have watched way too much Star Trek with Emmett."

"Someone once told me, Jasper, to never say never – especially when faced with eternity like we are."

"Good advice. Was it Carlisle?"

"No," Bella said, smiling a little, knowing Jasper wasn't going to like her answer when it came.

"Edward?"

"No."

Jasper was silent for a moment. "Well, you gonna tell me?" he finally said, sounding impatient.

"Natan."

"Oh. THAT asshole. Maybe it was stupid advice after all."

"_NO!" Bella screamed. "Don't kill him!"_

_Well, she tried to scream. It came out more of a gurgle. She'd regained consciousness in time to see Jasper tearing Maria into little pieces. Evidently, just tearing her limb from limb hadn't been enough for him. Relief that he'd recovered from Abeo's gift quickly enough to save her from Maria had surged through her, followed by horror when he'd turned his attention to Natan. Even though she'd thought about killing him, too, she found that she didn't want it to happen now. Her garbled scream stopped Jasper in mid-strike, and he quickly turned towards her. His eyes were black – blacker than she'd ever seen them before. Seeing her eyes staring back at him, he dropped his attack and rushed to her side. Elsewhere on the floor, Peter and Charlotte had begun to stir. Natan still lay unconscious, though._

"_You're all right…you're all right…I thought you were dead…I thought she'd killed you!" he mumbled._

_How foolish, Bella thought groggily. She was already dead. Maria couldn't have killed her unless she burned her. But she did hurt like hell. Almost as bad as after the werewolf attack. She found she couldn't speak, so she tried to send feelings of reassurance to her mate._

_Jasper began carefully running his hands over her and trying to evaluate her injuries. He rolled her over and moved her hair to the side to inspect the back of her neck and the massive damage done there __by Maria's teeth. He took a deep breath and then began to gingerly reassemble bits and pieces, continuing to mumble. Bella didn't know if he was actually talking to her or if he was just talking to himself._

"_Wish Carlisle was here...gah, what a mess...don't want scarring...nasty bitch...probably infected...can't get infected, Jasper, you idiot...I think it's going to be all right...wish Carlisle was here..." Soon enough, though, he was licking the wound, sealing it up with his own venom. Bella winced at the new pain._

"_Shhh...shhh...sorry, babe...had to do it…you'll be alright now..." he whispered, holding her tight against him._

"_Jasper," Peter whispered from across the floor, "we've got incoming. I count five. I think it's the rest of the guards."_

"_Can you…?" Jasper asked, hating to._

"_Yeah, if you can give 'em a shot of fear and loathing in Monterrey."_

"_No problem. Go upstairs. Let them get a little closer."_

"_Right. Come on, Charlotte." Peter and Charlotte disappeared up the stairs._

"_I think Peter just made a modern pop cultural reference," Jasper said, sounding surprised as he turned back to Bella. She tried to smile but it felt like it came out as more of a grimace._

"_I'm sure it was an accident," she said. The words still sounded a bit garbled._

"_Shhh... Don't try to talk yet."_

_From up the stairs came the sounds of growling and hissing. Jasper's eyes grew unfocused for a moment, and then suddenly they could hear several vampires being ripped apart. Bella could tell from Jasper's unconcerned look that things were going well for Peter and Charlotte._

_Across the room, Natan began to stir. Jasper turned towards him again, a growl beginning deep in his chest._

"_Don't!" Bella whispered, reaching out to grab his arm._

_Natan sat up and looked at them, worry and fear clear on his face. Bella didn't need Jasper's talent to know the vampire clearly thought his time was up._

"_Let him go!" she said._

_Jasper turned to her in disbelief. "Why?"_

"_Just...please, let him go!"_

_Natan didn't waste time to hear Jasper's reply. He flitted up the stairs and was gone._

"_Let him go!" Jasper roared to his friends. "You better have a good reason for that," he told Bella._

"_Later. Trust me," Bella said, shutting her eyes again. She was tired of talking._

"_Always," Jasper murmured, picking her up and carrying her from the room._

"Yeah...care to explain it to me now?" Jasper asked, sitting up and facing her. "I'd say it's later. It's driving me nuts, Bella. You know I don't like loose ends, and he's a loose end if I've ever seen one. I don't care if Peter has met him before and spoke well of him. He hurt you."

"He didn't hurt me. He never touched me. He helped save me," Bella said quietly. "And by doing that, he helped save all of us."

Bella had not said anything yet; not during their long trip north and not during their days of lying in the sun together. She hadn't offered and Jasper hadn't pushed. Everything would come out in good time – and for once, they actually had time. Plenty of time. He'd managed to send a text to Alice before his phone had died, telling her where they were and saying they'd come home when Bella was ready. Alice had assured him that she could see nothing disturbing in their immediate future, although she also made sure to point out she didn't see much of ANYTHING in their near future. It was clear to her that they wouldn't be making definite decisions any time soon. She told him that as much as the family wanted to see them and assure themselves of both Bella's and Jasper's safety, they all completely understood the need for the pair to re-connect in privacy.

Evidently, though, Bella was ready to talk now. She told him everything that had happened to her – from the hotel room up to the point that she'd been taken down by Maria.

"So you see, Jasper," she said, once she'd finished telling him what had happened, "I HAD to let them take me. I couldn't protect Charlotte and Peter at the hotel. My shield, I guess, isn't strong enough to protect other people against EVERYTHING that is out there."

"You could have escaped, killed them once they were safely away from there," Jasper said, immediately feeling guilty. He didn't mean to make her feel like she had done less than what was possible or imply she was complicit in her own kidnapping. He was just grasping at straws, trying to understand what had happened.

Bella didn't get angry. She knew him too well. "Maybe," she said, sounding doubtful. "Jasper, you always tell me I'm a good fighter, but that's never really been tested in large groups. I mean, I go ape-shit and rip peoples' heads off, sure, but four against one? I don't think I'm THAT good. And to be honest..." she trailed off, feeling doubtful all of a sudden. Doubtful, embarrassed, and a little bit aggravated.

"What is it?"

"Well, if you remember, you didn't believe me or Peter when we said we thought Maria might have a talented vampire in her coven. You said she wouldn't have changed that much. And you were wrong." NOW she was angry. Angry and a little resentful. She might not blame him for what had happened to her – Maria might have gotten her away from him no matter what – but everything might have gone differently, better, if he'd only given her theory the benefit of the doubt.

Jasper squirmed a bit, unable to meet her eyes for a moment.

"Yeah. I was wrong. Really, really wrong," he said, nodding. And his inability to broaden his own thinking had almost cost him everything. "I'll never ignore your opinion again, Bella. I just...I'm used to being in charge in situations like this. And there's no room for democracy in a war situation, Bella. You won't convince me to change that part of me."

"I'm not asking you to change that, Jasper." She sighed. "I'm just...I just think you need to be willing to listen to others' theories. I mean, you always did when it was just you and me, back in Russia and Europe, and then when we were traveling around. You always listened to me. We were a team!"

"We ARE a team! I'm sorry. So sorry. I made the mistake of thinking that since I knew Maria, I knew how everything needed to go down in this situation. I was wrong. And I won't make that mistake again. I'll do my best not to do that in the future."

"Hmph!" Bella sniffed. "Just see that it doesn't happen again." She pushed Jasper's shoulder, shoving him over on his back.

"Hey!" he protested. "I let Natan go just because you said to, without questioning you. Even though it just about KILLED me to do it and went against everything I believe in!"

"Yes, you did," Bella said, leaning over and kissing him. "You know, it's weird – I'd already decided he was going to be the third person I killed once I got out of the concrete. And then, when it came time to kill him, I couldn't let you. He saved me, Jasper."

"Yeah, because it served his purpose!"

"Well...maybe. I don't know, though. He couldn't know for sure he'd survive. He had to have known that you would kill everybody there. He seemed pretty aware of who Jasper Whitlock is."

"Yeah, maybe. He wouldn't have made it out of there at all if he hadn't helped you. I still say he's self serving."

"Maybe."

Silenced descended upon them as they both lay back on the rocks, holding hands again.

"You said Peter knows him. How?"

Jasper groaned. "I don't feel like talking about Natan anymore, Bella. In fact, if I never hear his name again, it'll be too soon. If you're so curious, ask Peter when we see him again. He can probably give you the man's entire life history. Just do it when I'm out of earshot."

"Jasper, you are such a jealous cat!"

"Jealous? I'm not _jealous_! There's nothing to be jealous of!"

"You're right, there's not!" Bella giggled.

"I'm just...not interested in talking about Natan. I appreciate what he did to help," Jasper said stiffly. "And in return, I let him live. Because he helped you. And you asked me not to kill him. End of story."

"If you say so," Bella said, giggling again. "What do you want to talk about instead?"

Jasper rolled over, pulling her under him at the same time. "I don't want to talk about anything at all right now," he growled, leaning down to kiss her.

"Me either."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

"Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I think I'm ready to go now."

"Really?" Jasper said, jumping to his feet.

"Geez, Jasper, if you're so ready to go, you should have said something!" Bella laughed, getting up more slowly. She stretched languidly, the light from the moon glinting off her skin in a subdued version of the sparkling that would have been evident in the sunlight.

"I didn't want to rush you, Bella," he said. "I would stay here forever if that's what you wanted."

"But you're ready to go."

"Yeah. Pretty much," he admitted, grinning at her. "It's not the company or the location, it's–"

"The lack of pretty much anything edible?" she said with a laugh. "Yeah. I agree. I'm getting a little bit thirsty and a LOTTA bit tired of javelinas." She peered at him closely. "And your eyes are looking much better, Jasper. I don't think you even need sunglasses now."

He nodded, not saying anything. He also didn't tense up at her words, which told her more than anything else could have that he was ready to go back. They hadn't talked much about what had happened to him in the compound, but he was clearly coming to terms with it in his own way. Her acceptance of it had gone a long way to helping him.

"We will need clothes, though, Jasper. I'm not running all the way to Peter and Charlotte's house naked."

"You still want to go there first?" he asked, surprised.

She shrugged. "We said we would stop by."

"We don't have to, Bella. I know you weren't that comfortable last time."

"Yeah, well, they kind of grew on me. I want to stop by. Will they be back at the same cabin?"

"Yeah, should be. Peter said they were going to head back there."

"Okay," she said, nodding. "Let's go. But clothing first!"

"You got it, babe. We can go get our luggage and stuff. We buried it under a rock outside of Laredo. Peter said he'd leave our stuff there when they went back."

"No."

"No? But you said..." Jasper was confused.

"I'm not going back there. I'm never going anywhere near there again. Do you hear me, Jasper?"

"Okay... But our ID and stuff are there."

"Do we need them?" Bella asked, suddenly worried. "Will we be in trouble if somebody finds them?"

Jasper laughed. "No. They were made up identities. In fact, we can have Emmett just put a little paper trail out on the net that shows those two 'people' went missing in Mexico last month. That way, if anybody ever does find the stuff, it'll fit in nicely with the story. We'd never use those identities again, anyway."

"Huh. Okay, good, because I'm never going back there again and I don't want you to have to, either. We can just steal something off of somebody's clothesline."

Jasper looked around them at the desolate darkness that spread for hundreds of miles in all directions. "I hope you don't expect that to happen soon."

"As long as it happens before we get to Peter's house, I'll be happy."

"Bella?"

"Yes, Jasper?"

"What do you want to do next?"

"After Peter's house?"

"Yeah."

"I think...I think I want to go home."

"You don't want to go off somewhere by ourselves?" Jasper was surprised – not that he minded going back to their family, but Bella's answer surprised him. What with all her talk before of being nomadic, he'd just assumed she'd go back to that line of thinking now that the dust had settled.

"Yeah...I think I just want to be with family for a while. I'm tired of adventures."

"Your wish is my command, babe. Home it is."

"After clothes. And a visit to Peter and Charlotte."

"Right."

~CD~CD~CD~CD~

**A/N** There WILL be an epilogue next week...but other than that, I'm afraid we have reached the end, dear readers.


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: **_Yes, that's right...you're not crazy. Finally, after, um...two months...more than two months...two and a half months...the epilogue is here! Yay me! I have a variety of excuses, most of which I'll not bore you with. The BIGGEST one, however, is one that might interest you. When the story was winding down, I was totally burned out. Beyond burned out. I had an idea for another one, but I'd lost all interest in writing it, or anything else (pity party for me here, I know). But part of me WANTED to write it. And, well, my decision whether or not to write the NEXT story would determine how the epilogue for THIS story turned out. So. Nothing got written, nothing got written, nothing got written...until I finally made up my mind about what, if anything, was in my writing future._

_So, here you go! Assuming anybody is still out there, and interested:_

~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~CD~

A pair of vampires halted cautiously at the edge of a clearing in the pine forest, carefully examining the cabin that lay nestled in the trees on the other side of it. The smaller female inhaled deeply, then turned to the male.

"Are they home?"

The male grinned down at her. "Yep."

"Oh..."

He felt some slight disappointment coming from her. "Disappointed, Bella? You said you wanted to come by and see if they made it back all right, maybe visit for a while."

"It's not that, Jasper," she said hesitantly.

"Ah," Jasper said, his expression clearing. "I can't smell them, either, Bella - the cabin's too far away, and it's downwind. The Ponderosa pine isn't helping any either. I can feel them, though." He made a mental note to come up with some sort of training program for her scenting ability, which was woefully lacking for a vampire. He wondered if having her head locked in box, her senses overwhelmed with whatever odor the Volturi had infused the wood with in order to mask their own scents, had permanently damaged her somehow. She had been a vampire several years now, so her scenting abilities should be much stronger than what they currently were.

She grimaced. "It's not _that_..." she whispered, embarrassment now added to the emotional mix.

"No need to whisper, Bella. They've probably already heard us. Tell me what's wrong before we go over and knock."

"It's just, I thought...I thought Peter might have kept the car. He seemed to like it so much."

Jasper looked at her in surprise. Of all the things she could have said, that was the last thing he would have expected to be bothering her. "Um, Bella, even Peter isn't crazy enough to bring a stolen car back to the town he stole it from, no matter _how_much he liked it. And even if he had been that crazy, the car never would have made it up the trails to this cabin."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. That wouldn't exactly be keeping a 'low profile', would it?"

"No, it wouldn't."

They approached the cabin slowly. While Jasper was sure of the inhabitants within - he'd been with them too long not to recognize their emotional signature - there was no sign of stirring within the small building. There was, however, another surprise waiting for them as they rounded the corner of the cabin.

"Is that...?" Bella stopped, cocking her head and studying the piece of modern day technology that was now visible to them where it was perched precariously near the apex of the roof.

"A satellite dish," Jasper finished for her. "Yeah, you're not hallucinating. Seems Peter has upgraded things a bit since we were last here." He, too, cocked his head. "I don't hear a generator, though."

The back door opened and Charlotte stepped out. "That's because the stink and the noise were driving me crazy, and I made him turn the damn thing off," she said, smiling at them. "Jasper, Bella, you finally made it!" She made no move to come any closer, however, waiting instead for Peter to appear beside her.

_Still cautious_, Jasper noted, trying not to let it sting too much.

"Yep, we made it. Bella finally had enough of basking in the sun. Winter was over up here, so we figured it was time to come back. I'm sure the Cullens are going crazy trying to get a hold of us." Jasper took his cue from the other pair and made no effort to close the distance between them.

"You haven't called them yet?" Peter asked, surprised.

Jasper shrugged. "We still have one of the phones, but no charger, no ID...no _nothing_. Just the clothes on our back, and those are stolen."

"Ah, living the good life, I see," Peter said, finally cracking a smile. "Welcome to our world. Well, I think I probably have a charger for you, if it was in your luggage."

"You brought our bags back with you?" Jasper asked, pleased - and more than a little surprised - at his friend's action.

Peter shrugged. "Yeah, well, when we got back, we figured you might be needing stuff in 'em, so we dug 'em out, threw 'em in the car, and brought 'em along."

"The car?" Jasper asked, truly surprised now. "You kept the car?"

Peter shrugged again and looked away. "It was a good car. I didn't want to leave it there."

"Why the hell did you bring it back _here_?" Jasper asked,shaking his head. "I mean, what are you going to do with it? Won't it be a little obvious, driving it around in the town you stole it from?"

"Well...I took it back to the owner."

"You did _what_? You know what, never mind. I don't even want to know."

"It was a good car!" Peter said, sounding defensive now. "I couldn't just leave it in the desert."

"I said I don't want to know, Peter. Although, the condition it was in, I'm not sure they would have even appreciated the gesture. Why don't you tell me about your belated entrance into the 21st century sitting up there on your roof, instead, and maybe fire up your generator so I can charge my phone?"

"Sure, sure...come on in," Peter said, stepping aside so Jasper and Bella could enter the house first.

Nothing had changed in the kitchen, except now a small generator sat off to one side, with a couple of red gas cans sitting next to it.

"Isn't it dangerous to have it running in the house?" Bella asked. Charlotte shrugged, but Peter and Jasper looked at her like she was crazy. "Oh...yeah. Guess not for vampires, huh?"

"It _does_stink, though," Charlotte said. "I tried to get him to put it outside, but he wouldn't. He doesn't want people to hear it or see it, for fear they'll know someone is here in the cabin."

"Like the dish on the roof isn't a giveaway?" Jasper asked, eyebrow raised.

"Whatever," Peter mumbled. "Your bags are over there," he said, jerking a thumb to the counter top across from the generator. He then leaned over and pulled the chord, and the generator chugged to life. Jasper crossed the room and dug through one of the bags, quickly coming up with the phone charger. He held out another bag to Bella.

"My Bond Bag!" she said, delighted. "You saved it!"

Jasper nodded. "That's when I knew for sure you were in trouble, back in Laredo. I knew you wouldn't have left it behind, even if you _were_sneaking off on some foolish mission of mercy."

Bella took the bag from him, shooting him a side-glance, and dug through it. "Great! I can be me again! Or at least the me that was set up for this trip!"

Jasper laughed and plugged in his phone. "There we go. We'll give it a little bit of time to build up a charge and then we'll call and let them know we're here. Not that it's necessary - I'm sure Alice has seen it already. All right, Peter, so what's up with your sudden interest in technology? Was the cable really that interesting at the hotel?"

"You're ma...ex-mate, coven sister, whatever she is..." Peter started, stumbling over his words.

"Alice," Jasper said firmly. "Her name is Alice. Don't be afraid to use it."

"Alice," Peter began again, "sent it. Your coven brother, Emmett, showed up here about three hours after Charlotte and I got back. We were getting ready to close up shop here and move on when he pulled up on a four wheeler loaded down with all this crap. Told us _Alice_had had a vision of you and Miss Bella coming back through here, and of all of us sitting around watching the boob tube. So, he sets all this shit up and then proceeds to threaten us if he has to hunt us down to do it all again." Peter sniffed. "As if he could. Anyway, then he asks real nice if we wouldn't mind just sticking around long enough for you to come back so we could fulfill her vision, and shit like that. Going on and on about how it would make his life so much easier if he didn't have to listen to her harp about us. I couldn't really argue with that - she always did seem to be a bit demanding with those visions of hers. I figured, what the hell, I didn't particularly want him traipsing all over the place and following us with this shit any more than he wanted to be doing the following. Worst part was, Charlotte tried to eat Larry the Cable Guy when he came to hook things up. It got kinda ugly."

Bella's jaw dropped. "Larry the Cable Guy...? Peter, did you just make a pop culture reference?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Miss Bella. His name was Larry. It said so, right on his name tag. Fact is, we _did_end up eating old Larry... We just had to do it later that night. We had to let him go back to work, so as not to arouse suspicion, but we couldn't have him telling tales about where we lived and all that. So we tracked him down that night and took care of things. Don't look at me like that, Jasper. A man's gotta eat. And fact is, Charlotte would have ended up hunting him down no matter what. I figured doing it in a more controlled-type situation was probably a good idea."

"He smelled really, really good," Charlotte said defensively. "And I hadn't eaten in a few days. That adventure with Jasper and Bella really took it out of me."

Bella shook her head. She didn't even want to think about any of that.

"So..." she said, trying to change the subject, "you've just been watching, what, MTV ever since?"

"Pretty much. You wouldn't believe some of the things humans do nowadays, Jasper," Peter said, shaking his head in disgust. "It's downright shameful."

"Yet he continues to watch it," Charlotte said, rolling her eyes. "It's like watching a train wreck."

"I can't seem to stop myself," Peter agreed.

"So I finally pulled the plug two weeks ago. The noise is annoying, the generator stinks, we had to keep running into town for gas, and the shows he was watching were disgusting." Charlotte nodded her head decisively.

"Huh...that's just odd, even for Alice," Jasper said. "Why would she want you to have a television? Just to fulfill a vision of us watching it? It doesn't seem to be worth all this effort. Emmett didn't say _what_we were watching?"

"Nope. He just said Alice had a vision of us, in this cabin, watching television. I figured maybe it was an over-the-top thank you present for helping y'all out." They followed Peter into the living room of the cabin, where a large screen TV now took up one wall.

"Holy shit, you don't do it by halves, do you Peter?" Bella asked, laughing when she saw the size of the screen.

"I didn't pick it out," Peter said, sounding defensive. "I told you, Emmett just showed up with all this shit."

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, that has Emmett written all over it. He likes to feel like he's right there with whatever is going on on the screen."

"And a 55-inch screen ought to do that pretty easily," Bella said in awe. "It looks so much _bigger_in this small a space."

"You ain't kiddin', Miss Bella. Before I met you, I don't think I'd watched much of any TV since the screen was about 12 inches across."

"And probably in black and white."

"Yeah, that too. So...want to watch something?" Peter asked hopefully.

Jasper glanced at Bella, trying to gauge her mood. The last time they'd been here, the visit had gone less than well. Maybe settling in and partaking of a familiar activity would help her ease into the visit better.

"Um...maybe we could play cards?" she asked hesitantly. "Watching TV with you is a little traumatizing, Peter. I'm not gonna lie."

_Or not_, thought Jasper. She was constantly surprising him.

"Cards it is, then," Charlotte said, sounding pleased. "Up for a little poker, Bella?"

"Not poker!" Jasper said. "I'm not going any further in debt to you, Peter. How 'bout we teach Bella something else."

"Sounds good. Hate playing poker with Jasper around, anyway. The bastard uses his gift to cheat." Peter glared at his friend. "Besides, he still owes me money from the last game."

"_Bella _owes you money from the last game," Jasper corrected.

"And Jasper can't cheat anymore when I'm around," Bella said smugly. "My shield can take care of that problem!"

Jasper snorted. "I don't cheat."

"Whatever, Jasper," Peter said. "You cheat. We all know it. How 'bout a little pinochle? That work for you, Miss Bella?"

Fifteen minutes later, Bella proved she was a fast learner by winning the second, third, and fourth hands.

"We should play partners," Jasper announced, throwing his cards down in disgust.

"Girls against boys," Charlotte suggested.

"No way." Jasper snorted.

"I still don't get it," Peter said, dropping his own hand to the table. Charlotte gathered the cards and began shuffling them. "Emmett said that Alice said she saw us watching the television. Shouldn't we be watching the television?"

Jasper sighed. "Just because she saw it, it doesn't mean it'll happen, Peter. Her visions change with people's decisions. I've explained this to you before. If she _really_wants us to watch it, she'd probably have called you with more details as they came to her." He began picking up the cards Charlotte had dealt and rolled his eyes in disgust when he saw them.

"Uh...but I don't have a phone anymore, remember?"

"Well...she'd find some way to let us know, if it was of life-or-death importance. And, somehow, I'm thinking the latest episode of "Extreme Cribs" qualifies for that. Trust me on this one, Peter." He threw his cards to the table. "Misdeal!" he growled in disgust.

Charlotte sighed and gathered the cards again, shuffling them more vigorously this time while glaring at Jasper. "You always claim its a misdeal," she groused, dealing again.

"This hand is lovely!" Jasper said, smiling at both her and his new cards. "Thank you, Charlotte."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as they played another hand, which Bella once again won handily.

"So..." Peter began as he shuffled the cards. "You never did figure out what that Heriberto dude was going on about, did you? About how we'd be sorry, and all that shit."

"Nope," Jasper said, dealing the cards. "Crazy fucker."

"Huh. I don't like it. I think it had to do with them finding us and trying to blow us up."

"Yeah, well, that stopped once we took off those clothes, didn't it? I'm pretty sure they had tracking devices in them."

"But _why_? How did they know we'd be wearing them?"

"I think they were used to track their _own_people, Peter, not us."

"Trusting lot, weren't they?"

"They're drug dealers, Peter. Trust is not in their vocabulary. So, speaking of tracking, after we split up, did you track down Natan?"

Peter paused and looked up from his hand. "I didn't know I was supposed to. You let him go..."

Jasper glanced at Bella, who studied her own hand and refused to look up. "Yeah, but I didn't _want_to let him go. I did it against my better judgement."

"Well, I'm not a mind reader, Jasper."

"He's a loose end," Jasper continued to grumble. "You know I don't like loose ends."

"This whole mission was _full_of loose ends, Jasper. Besides, I always liked Natan. I told you that. I think he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's a curious sort."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Jasper grumbled again.

"Well, Natan's a cat, all right. Always landing on his feet. Nah, Charlotte and I wandered around a bit down there, looking up some of our old camps, stuff like that." Peter shook his head. "It sure has changed. I didn't recognize hardly anything. Then we came back across the river, grabbed the car, and came back here. Been waiting for you to show up ever since."

"Yeah, well, if letting him go comes back to bite me in the ass, I'm blaming _you_."

"Whatever. We probably won't see him for a couple centuries. I think that whole thing probably scared him but good. Ah...finally! I think you'll see I've won this round, Miss Bella," Peter said, looking pleased with himself.

"Well, I have to be nice and let you win _some_of them, don't I? Otherwise you won't want to play anymore."

"So humble." Peter snorted. "Eternity is a _long_ time, Miss Bella. It would take more than losing a few hands of cards to put me off playing anymore." He pushed back from the table, tipping his chair back and swinging his feet up onto the tabletop. "You know what would be _really_nice right now? Some cold beers. Or a really nice whiskey."

"The only thing I drank before my change was a beer I stole from my dad," Bella said reflectively. "And it was warm."

Jasper wrinkled his nose. "Well, it couldn't have been as bad as the shit that passed for beer when I was a human. That stuff was _really_gross. The whiskey was good, though."

"I never drank alcohol at all as a human," Charlotte said. "I was a good girl till Peter corrupted me."

"Hmph!" Peter said, making no further comment.

"Too bad we can't bottle blood and drink it that way..." Bella said, the question clear in her voice.

"Yeah, don't try it. Emmett insisted on trying to do that, against Carlisle's advice. If you don't add anticoagulants, it gets all gooey. And if you _do_add stuff to prevent that, it taste's off. Carlisle keeps some around for emergencies...but I'm telling you, it'd have to be a damn big emergency before I'd drink it. Not to mention the smell of blood can trigger some mighty strong instincts that don't mix well with sitting around and playing cards."

"Well, it was a thought. This is nice, though, even without something to drink. I'm ready for some of that Long and Boring Eternity that everybody keeps telling me about."

"Wanna go back to Greenland?" Jasper asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "See if your 'boyfriend' is still there?"

"No, thank you," Bella answered primly. "I just want to have no excitement for a while. I don't think that is too much to ask for."

"I think it's you," Peter said, and Charlotte reached over to smack him. "Things were boring for _all_ of us until you came along. Now, just deal the cards and see if you can win _this_time."

This time, though, it was Charlotte who won the hand.

"I think my phone has enough of a charge to make a call now," Jasper said, pushing back from the table and heading for the kitchen.

"Sore loser," Peter called after him.

Jasper's only answer was to flip him off.

They all knew the moment his phone came on because it started beeping in a fairly jarring fashion.

"Jesus. She must have been watching for that," Peter muttered. "Doesn't it ever get annoying?"

"Uh..." Bella faltered. "Not really. It usually saves my life. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Alice's visions."

Peter had the grace to look ashamed. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking."

Jasper reentered the main room, carrying his phone and talking fast. "Well, we didn't _feel_like watching television, that's why! I'm turning it on now. Christ, woman, give me a minute! Peter!" He put the phone down. "Where the hell is the plug?"

Peter jumped up to help, and a moment later the television glowed to life. Bella and Charlotte exchanged glances, and Bella shrugged to show that she was as puzzled as Charlotte was. Alice was talking fast, clearly almost hysterical, and only in half sentences. Jasper evidently had no problem understanding her, though. Chelsea might have erased the mating bond, but she couldn't erase over 50 years of a shared life together.

"All right, it's on. Which station?"

"Visions changing with people's decisions, my ass," Peter muttered.

Jasper pointed the controller at the television and started flicking through channels. Suddenly he stopped, and they all stared at the screen in shock.

There, in all his glory - albeit a rather grainy black and white glory, taken from some distance but still perfectly clear to their vampire eyes - was Jasper, crouched over a human and draining it dry while Peter and Charlotte stood by, watching him warily and arguing with each other.

"Wow..." Peter whispered. "Emmett was right. It really is like we're right there in the action."


End file.
